Rise Against the Dark Tide
by SoJoGoGo
Summary: BtVSHP – Raised in the muggle world, Willow Rosenberg finds she’s more than your average human when she's befriended by Buffy Summers and learns about the Hellmouth, the Wizarding World and where she fits into it all.
1. Chapter 1

**Rise Against the Dark Tide**

**By: SoJoGoGo**

**Rating: PG-13 might go up to a R**

**Pairings: W/T, Her/V, G/J, X/C… might be more**

**Summary:** BtVS/HP - AU – OotP, Prophecies will be the death of me. Lily Potter didn't know the truth to her words as her daughter is hidden away because of one. When Willow finds her power and becomes the best friend of the Slayer, the mystical world will never be the same.

**Author's Notes:** I got this into my head after seeing so many stories that have Buffy as Harry's long lost sister. But you know, the girl can't do magic, and suddenly she can (most of the stories where they can suddenly do magic because they met Dumbledore always confused me). How could Buffy be Harry's sister? Willow I can see. Number one – she's a powerful witch who didn't know it. Two – she looks a bit like what Harry's mother does and she would have James's eyes. Three- they're the same age if you follow the years in the book. Freaky.

**Changes to HP –** Harry finds another prophecy in the Department of Mysteries. There's more than one wizarding country. Hermione isn't in love with Ron at any time though there is the crush. And yes, I made up other wizarding stuff that doesn't sound familiar.

**Changes to BtVS –** Shifted everything forward a year. Buffy comes to Sunnydale with her newly divorced mom when she's 15, not 16. They're Freshmen in High School. Willow finds out about magic and her power when she's younger, she just needs some guidance.

**Disclaimer:** The world of Buffy belongs to Joss Whedon. The world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I just mess with them, no money being made.

**oooooooooooo**

**October 7 1980**

Lily Evans Potter looked out over the dark of the night in Godric's Hollow as she listened to her husband, two of their best friends and a few of their school mentors argue quietly in the living room.

She couldn't handle the conversation anymore. Prophecies, they would be the death of her she swore to herself. For the most part she didn't believe in them herself. But one was spoken of what could be her infant son Harry, not more than five months ago, about how he would be the one to face Voldemort. The redhead glanced down into the cradle to see her dark headed son sound asleep.

And now this, she shook her head as she closed her eyes and rocked her daughter, twin to her son, against her. Red hair like her own with James's hazel eyes, she was beautiful, perfect. And from this new prophecy, they had no choice.

James came into the room and the two new parents looked to each other making tears well up in Lily's eyes. "This isn't right," she whispered to him.

James came up and kissed her then the top of their daughter's fuzzy red head. "If we want her to live we must, Lil," he whispered back. "Remus will find her a good home."

Sorrow caught in Lily's throat as James took up a small bag with the baby's things in them, he looked through it to make sure that everything was there, he stopped as he pulled out a small bag and looked to Lily who replied with a shrug, he opened it and poured out a pendant, it was gold with a willow tree engraven on it and on the back was a picture of the two of them holding both of the babies, and with a wave of his hand the picture was gone and in its place was her name, her parents name, her brother's and the name Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts was newly put on.

It was to be a present for her when she was older, but now… James slid it back into the bag. "For good luck then," he told Lily as he took their daughter up. Lily held onto her pressing kiss after kiss into her head and cheeks making the infant wriggle under the pressure. James kissed the baby many times as well until the hazel eyes opened and the two looked to her for a long while until there was a knock and their young friend Remus Lupin came to the door.

Lily wiped away her tears and kissed the baby once more. James wrapped her up and handed the bag and slowly the child to him. Remus nodded as he held her carefully. "I swear," he told them as he tucked the child into his arm. "I will protect her with every breath in my body, with every ounce of my soul."

James nodded to him as Lily clenched her jaw willing herself not to cry as the tears still streamed down her cheeks. Remus left and Lily buried herself in James's chest and he held her tight. "Be safe Willow," James whispered into his wife's hair and looked to his son whose other half was gone. "Be safe."

**October 9 1980**

It was early evening when Remus Lupin apparated to a small enclosure outside of Seattle, Washington. It was Seabourgh, one of the wizarding cities in the United States with baby Willow in his arm. He had spent two days apparating all over the world so that his trail would be cold if anyone dared to trail him. He found a small herbalist shop there 'Witch Hazel and Vine' and went inside. It was just closing and all the business was done for the day.

"Wilson," he called out.

A man who was much older than the twenty year old came through a small curtain behind the counter. "Remus!" he said with a smile. He hadn't seen the boy for many years. Not since his great aunt had died who was a good friend of his. "I almost didn't recognize you, if not for the owl you sent."

Remus nodded as Wilson saw what was in his arm. "Is this her then?" he asked softly as he came around to see the bundle.

"It is," Remus told him as he carefully handed her over.

Wilson uncovered the little face and there was the beautiful little redheaded girl. "She's beautiful."

Remus nodded as he looked to the product of two of his dearest friends. "I would like to stop in every year or so to see how she is," he told him. Wilson looked his way. "Nothing intrusive," Remus said. "Just to see her."

Wilson looked to the young man. "Remus, is she yours?" he asked.

Remus shook his head. "No, but I am her godfather," he replied. "If I could keep her, I would, but she'll be safer here."

Wilson nodded slowly. "Okay, but I won't give her back. I can't do that to Emily, not after we've tried so hard to have children."

Remus nodded. "I know. I won't." He handed over the bag. "Her name is Willow," he told him. "I would hope you'd keep that."

Wilson smiled. "It's a perfect name for us." He looked to the baby and heard the door to the shop open. He looked up and Remus had gone. He headed into the back room as sleepy hazel eyes opened up. "Emily," he called out softly and the eyes locked onto him. "Emily!" he said a little louder and the baby wriggled in the swaddling about her.

Emily came out from the stock room; she was short and soft with a sweet look to her. "What?" she asked. She looked to the baby in his arms. "Wilson Gale," she started to reprimand him.

Wilson smiled. "A very dear friend needed a home for a little one," he told her. "I said yes." He handed her over and her trembling hands took the baby to her. "You're a mama."

Tears welled up in Emily Gale's eyes as she rocked the baby to her. "It's a day of miracles," she told him. All work was forgotten as Wilson closed the shop and the two headed to their home on the top floor of the shop. Baby Willow Juliet Gale was a welcome addition to their home.

**October 31 1981**

Wilson Gale smiled to his customer as they heard a baby in the background cry and cry. "Willow, she's beginning to teethe," he told the woman.

"Rosewort, as you know," the customer said. "Works like a charm."

Wilson nodded with a smile as the woman left. He went in the back and found Emily walking Willow up and down the aisle between the bottles of herbs and growing plants. Willow was just over a year and cute as a button, the two couldn't be happier to have her.

"What's wrong?" he asked his wife as he stroked the dark red hair of his child. "Do we need a mediwitch?"

Emily shook her head. "She started crying half an hour ago," she told him as Willow sobbed a little and a tiny thumb went into her mouth. She did not look happy, the other hand clung into Emily's robes and wouldn't let go.

They watched her for a few days until finally she started to sleep regular again. They didn't know what had happened to her.

Over in England James and Lily Potter were found dead. Harry was in his crib crying as Dumbledore and McGonagall came rushing in with Remus not to far behind. They looked to the lightening bolt scar on Harry's head. Remus left without a word to see how little Willow was.

**December 21 1981**

Auror Cameron Berkin looked over the remains of a fire that had roared through fifteen shops earlier that night. It had been the Bloodfangs, a gang of wizards that wanted power in the Northwest wizarding world. The authorities had killed three of them and caught a handful. Just being one of them sent you to Karavak Prison way out in the Pacific Ocean.

He looked to the smoldering remains of Witch Hazel and Vine. Auror Peri Dunlap came out. She shook her head. "They're both dead, Bloodfangs hexed them," she told him. "There was a crib, but I didn't see any baby, no remains of any either."

Berkin bit on his lip as he looked at the chaos around them. "Make sure," he said. "Get the others to sweep the area and do a locator charm. Maybe they had a niece or nephew over."

Dunlap shrugged. "Could be."

**oooooooooooo**

It wasn't, neighbors became distraught over little Willow gone missing. Word went up throughout the Northwest and slowly over the Ministry's line until the national wizarding news put out that Baby Willow Gale had been taken from her home by the notorious Bloodfang gang. A cry went up and the Auror commission went on a headhunt to wipe out the gang.

Five years, then ten and fifteen went by. No one in the wizarding world was ever sure they would see baby Willow again.

**December 24 1981**

It was a warm California evening as Cally Glover came to a small house in Sunnydale. She was a social worker and had been called on a case where an elderly woman had found an abandoned infant crawling from a garbage heap in her backyard.

Ms. Glover found the little girl to be about a year old, the woman had cleaned her up and fed her what a baby that small could eat. The redheaded child's big hazel eyes bore into her soul as she tottered around in an adult sized t shirt dragging it on the floor as the woman handed Ms. Glover a pendant found clutched in the child's hand. It was of a willow tree.

Five days later Ira and Sheila Rosenberg took their newly adopted daughter Willow home, her pendant put in a safe deposit box for safe keeping and the tale of her being found and adopted to be told when she was older.

**August 10 1982**

Dumbledore came to the Three Broomsticks to see Remus Lupin sitting at a back table drinking from a glass in one hand with a bottle of firewhiskey in the other. He looked smashed and heartbroken. Madam Rosmerta shook her head at him not knowing what the young man was so upset about to try and drink himself into oblivion.

Dumbledore came over to the table, watery bloodshot eyes looked his way. "I loss her Headmaster," Remus whispered as he stumbled over his words.

Dumbledore sat down next to him looking around to see if any one was about that could cause trouble. "What are you going on about, Remus," he asked him as he put a hand on his former student's shoulder.

"First James and Lily, can't see Harry anymore," Remus said into his glass looking to the last of his whiskey then to Dumbledore. "I went to check on her," he said and Dumbledore nodded knowing of who he was talking about. "The Yank Bloodfangs, they killed ten people, burned down 15 shops last Christmas."

Dumbledore nodded again. "I remember hearing about that."

"That's where I put her," Remus hissed angrily, the alcohol making him more enraged. "I went to check on her at her birthday. They were dead; she was missing not to be found. They're still searching."

Dumbledore went pale as he realized what he was saying. "Did you-," he started.

"Of course I did!" Remus snapped at him. "She's my responsibility! One thing James asked me to watch after and I failed him!" He threw the glass into the fireplace smashing it into pieces the fire roared for a moment then died out. Rosmerta and the other patrons looked their way but Remus buried his face in his hands and wept. "I searched all over, every lead I could find for the past ten days!" he told the Headmaster. "Any Bloodfang that could tell me is dead or in Karavak," Remus said. "No one goes up against those bloody wyverns they have guarding the place."

Dumbledore shook his head. "Remus, the Order will look for her together."

Remus stood up shaking his head. "No, she's my responsibility. I'll find her."

Dumbledore stood up now. "Remus-," he started.

"I have to do one thing right in my life, Albus," Remus said interrupting him. "One thing, I won't rest until I find her." Dumbledore couldn't do anything as Remus apparated away. He sighed as he paid Rosmerta for the drinks and the glass that was shattered. He headed for the school; he needed to inform some people.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**October 3 1985**

Five year old, pig tailed, Willow Danielle Rosenberg crouched down on the sand in the playground during recess in Kindergarten, in her new overalls and green t shirt as watched as her bestest best friend in the whole world Xander Harris did his most amazing jump from the merry go round ever. Or he was planning to once he let go.

He went around and around, the chubby little boy with his dirty red wranglers and gray t shirt clung on for dear life as the spinning went a little slower, and a little slower. "JUMP!" Willow called out as she waited.

Xander shook his head. "Not yet!" he yelled back.

Willow's little brow furrowed as she watched wanting to help her friend as she felt something build up inside her, she had felt it before but not like this. She let it go as she jumped up. "JUMP!" she told him again. He did. His eyes went wide as it seemed like someone pushed him from behind and he sailed through the air to land nearby her, his face making it into the sand first. She crouched down again and waddled over to her friend as he didn't move. "Xanther?" she asked, not fully wrapping her tongue around D's yet. "You okay?" she asked.

He groaned a little when she pushed him. So the tiny girl struggled to roll him over. She looked directly into his face as sand covered it. "Xanther?" she asked softly.

Xander opened his eyes to see her. "I jumped," he told her.

She nodded. "You went far," she said and they looked to see that he had made it a total of two feet which was really far when you're five.

He smiled as he sat up and blood began to run from his nose. Willow paled; Xander didn't realize he was bleeding. He wiped his nose on the back of his hand. "I can do it again," he said with a smile wanting to impress his friend.

"Blooth, blooth!" Willow said with a scream dancing around in a panic as the teacher on duty came running. Xander looked to the blood on his hand in awe.

"Xander, again?" the teacher said as Willow grabbed the teacher's pant leg and hid her face from the sight of the blood. The boy was known for getting hurt, while Willow just watched in fascination.

"I jumped from the go-round all by myself!" he said loudly and quite proudly as the teacher got a tissue and held it to his nose to help stop the bleeding.

"Yes you did, let's get you to the nurse," she said as she unwrapped Willow from her leg. "You can come too, Willow."

Willow did bravely holding Xander's hand, but not the one with blood on it.

**April 17 1987**

Willow sat in the Harris's living room watching a dismal looking Xander. It was his seventh birthday and he hadn't gotten what he wanted. The fire truck they saw in the toy store when her mommy took them by there. Willow's mommy said it was too much money when Willow wanted to get it for him. Willow scowled as she looked to Xander's mother, Mrs. Harris.

Willow's mommy called her a lush. She wasn't sure what that was but it had to do with fancy plants. She looked it up in her daddy's big dictionary set in his study. Mrs. Harris didn't look like a plant and they didn't have any in the house.

Willow sat down by Xander who looked to his coloring set from her and a toy airplane from Jesse. "I'm sorry," Willow said to him.

Xander shrugged dejectedly. "It's okay," he told her glumly.

"I will find you a fire truck," she told him. "A big one."

He smiled her way a little. "Real big?"

She nodded as she looked to Xander's dad talking to some woman in the house next door. She and Xander had spied on them once, and seen them doing a disgusting thing, kissing. Then Xander got sad. It wasn't Xander's mommy that his daddy was kissing. She set her eyes on the woman who walked back into the other house as the doorbell rang at the Harris's.

Jesse answered the door; it was his 'thing'. He wanted to be a doorman at a hotel where he could pet the dogs that came through and they gave you money just for holding the door open.

Sheila Rosenberg came in and looked to the house as Mrs. Harris got up from the couch with a drink in hand. Willow watched her mommy, she knew her mommy didn't like Xander's house. It wasn't very clean, and they didn't have nice things like Willow's house did. "Sheila," Mrs. Harris said as she came over.

Willow's mommy looked disapprovingly at her too. Mrs. Harris was dressed in an old housecoat over her ratty work uniform for a local supermarket deli. Willow's mommy was in a dress suit from work. She was a thinker, she made people think. Apparently it was a big deal. Willow wanted to be a monster like the one she saw in the alley the other night as her daddy drove them home for dinner at a fancy restaurant. It was all glowy eyed and scary, but then it left by jumping up to a rooftop. She told her parents but they smiled and liked her imagination telling her it was good for her to pretend.

"Jessica," Sheila replied. "Thank you for inviting Willow to Xander's birthday party."

Jessica nodded. "Sure thing," she replied as she looked to the children. "Xander loves his gifts, don't you?"

Xander nodded and Willow didn't look happy again. She hugged Xander hard. "I get your truck," she promised him.

Willow stood and went to her mommy who took her hand. "Did you thank Mrs. Harris for letting you come?" her mommy asked her.

Willow looked up to Mrs. Harris. "Thank you," she told her. Mrs. Harris nodded and the two turned to leave.

Jesse had his hand held out as he still held the door open waiting for his tip. Willow's mommy took out a dime and put it in the boy's hand. "Thank you!" Jesse said happily. "Bye Willow."

"Bye," Willow replied. "Bye Xander!" she called out.

"Bye," Xander said.

Willow got into the car and her mommy made sure she was buckled in tight. Willow looked to the neighbor's house again as that little feeling grew inside her. She looked to the house and wished it would burn so Xander could get his fire truck. Willow's mommy pulled out and headed for their neighborhood a mile away. "Did you have a nice time?" her mommy asked. Willow nodded, not seeing the flame that came from the basement up into the first floor of the neighbor's house. She heard about it from an excited Xander at school the next day.

**December 12 1987**

"I think you should come for Christmas, Remus," Molly Weasley said as she put a kettle on in her kitchen at the Burrow. Remus looked like a shell of his former self. His eyes were hollow and he was painfully thin.

Remus shook his head as Arthur spoke up. "Yes, why not?" he told their friend. "You've been so busy you've never even met the children."

"Albus told me you finally have a daughter," Remus said avoiding the question as he took a cup of tea from Molly. She set a plate of sausages, bacon, eggs, fried tomatoes and toast by him and one to her husband.

The Weasley's smiled at this. "Ginevra, or Ginny as the boys have been calling her. She's six now," Molly said.

Remus nodded as he looked to his tea and sipped on it. It was silent for a while. Molly had taken the seat across from him and gently put her hand on his arm. "One day, Remus, you'll find her."

Remus nodded as he set his cup down. "How's Harry doing?" he asked.

Arthur and Molly both made faces. "Poor boy's only seven and those who watch over him say he's not getting the best of treatment from that woman," Molly said as she got angry.

"Husband's worse," Arthur stated.

"It's HIS aunt Arthur, blood relative!" Molly chided him. "She should be loving that boy like her own!"

Arthur patted her hand. "Albus has to know what's right for him," he said. "What with Sirius in Azkaban."

Remus's jaw tightened. Sirius Black, best friend to him, James and Peter. Only to find out the blood of James and Lily were on his head. Harry's godfather for Merlin's sake, just as he was to Willow! He sighed and looking put out with himself.

"Oh Remus," Molly said, they both probably knew what he was thinking. "You didn't fail him or Lily," she told him. "You'll find her, and one day little Willow and Harry will be back together." She patted his hand. "You'll see."

Remus let out a sigh. "I pray you're right, Molly," he replied.

There was the sound of children's laughter coming for the house. "That'll be the twins, Ron and Ginny," Molly said. "Do stay and meet them."

Remus shook his head. "Too many questions." He stood and kissed her hand and nodded to Arthur. "Thank you my friends."

"Be careful," Arthur told him.

He nodded at that and headed for the fireplace. The children came in to see a tall man leave through the floo. "Who was that mum?" Fred asked.

"An old friend of your father and mine," Molly said standing and with her wand whisking away Remus's untouched plate. "Wash up for biscuits and milk." Molly and Arthur looked to each other as the children ran for the bathroom. Both of them looked worried.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**December 21 1990**

Willow laughed so hard she couldn't breathe. Xander stood by the TV in the Harris's living room and did what he called 'the Snoopy Dance'. On screen was the little black and white beagle from the Peanuts show 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'.

Ten year old Xander skipped up and down dancing back and forth with glee as Willow had to hold her stomach. Willow had come over after Hanukah that evening to give Xander his present from her and he had shown her the contraband of Snoopy, Charlie Brown and a dead looking Christmas tree.

Xander collapsed to the floor next to her laughing too. "It's the best, isn't it?" he asked between breaths.

Willow nodded as she caught her breath. "Yeah, Lucy made me think of Cordy," she told him. He laughed at that, the class bully of the fourth grade, Cordelia Chase. Willow couldn't stand her, neither could Xander. That was why after Cordelia had pushed Willow down in the playground for the hundred million tenth time (Xander counted and he swears by that) that they were going to start the "We Hate Cordelia Chase Club".

Willow was President of course, Xander was up for the job of Vice President but he said it was too much responsibility and he didn't want to take notes as Secretary, but he didn't mind holding the money for Treasurer. Jesse wanted it too so they fought over it with a thumb war. Xander won and Jesse decided he wanted to be the Spy like James Bond which sounded better than Vice President. So they had President, Treasurer and Spy filled in. Willow put three dollars to the fund, Jesse put in a quarter and two nickels and Xander put in a nickel and four pennies. Willow was pretty sure the boys spent it all on Ding Dongs and comics on their way home from the first meeting.

"Lucy's nicer," Xander said lying down on the rug beside her to watch the rest of the show. He reached around through the empty food wrappers looking for something left. Willow always brought snacks which Xander was always happy to eat.

"Yeah," Willow agreed putting her head on Xander's shoulder as Xander found one more Twinkie. If there was one person in her life Willow could count on to love her, it would be Xander. "I like Linus," she told him.

Xander smiled. "You would be Linus, I would be the Peppermint guy, he's cool," he told her around a bite of yellow spongy goodness.

Willow didn't have the heart to tell him that the Peppermint guy was a girl. She looked outside to see it was dark. "Xan," she said quickly. "It's dark; my mom's going to ground me if I don't get home soon."

Xander looked to the window, it was pretty dark. "It's almost over then I'll walk you home," he told her pulling her back down to the rug. She looked worried. "You're gonna be in trouble anyway, just watch the rest."

"What if my dad comes to get me?" Willow asked. Xander didn't look worried. "Or my mom?"

Xander sat up at that. His mom really didn't like hers. His dad didn't like her more. "You think?" he asked. Willow shrugged, Xander laid back down again. "A few more minutes, kay?"

Willow debated it for a moment then lay back down too. "'Kay," she replied but she looked to the dark sky every other minute hoping her mom wasn't going to be angry with her.

**oooooooooooo**

It was nine o'clock as Xander and Willow walked towards her home. Willow held his hand as they moved along at a good clip. Xander rolled his eyes as he kept up with his nervous redheaded buddy. Willow really didn't like to get into trouble with anyone.

"Maybe we can do something on Christmas," he got out.

Willow looked to him. "You could come see the computer my parents got me, it's neat. My dad got some programs on learning about actual programming."

"Did you get any games?" he asked. He was a big fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles down at the mall.

"No, but I have a scientific program, you can learn about the periodic table and it has chemistry labs," Willow said happily.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Games are better," he told her.

Willow made a face at him as two figures appeared about sixty feet behind them from the darkness walking along the sidewalk. Neither child noticed it. The stalkers were both adults, with the ridged foreheads and yellow eyes, and they looked… hungry.

"How come there are no Christmas lights on this street?" Willow asked as the stalkers began to walk a little faster; it was a very dark street.

Xander pointed to a house down the road. "The Mitchell's are the only ones with lights out this year. But I think they're gone for a few days, so they aren't on." The Harris's didn't have any outside Christmas lights, and their Christmas tree was an old fake one from years ago.

Willow looked to the little glass bulbs on the railing and the eaves of the Mitchell's house. It would look pretty lit up. She looked to Xander who was telling her about the time when he and Jesse played Ninja Turtles at the arcade for three hours one afternoon and Xander had won. Willow felt that sense build in her and as they walked by the house lit up, all the lights glowing.

"Oh wow!" Xander said looking to them with a smile. "I guess they're back."

The two watched the happy lights glow as the vampires looked to each other and to the little redhead who had magic pouring off of her now. They were strong but they were too young to have ever gone up against a mage, even one so young. Wisely they disappeared back into the night as Xander and Willow continued on toward her home unscathed.

**oooooooooooo**

**Privet Drive, England**

Harry sat in his cupboard underneath the stairs sad and alone. It had been the annual Dursley Christmas Party for neighbors, co-workers and friends to the Dursley's. And of course Harry wasn't invited. He hated Christmas. He never got anything but old hand me downs from what Dudley was too fat to wear anymore. The party was long over and it was the early morning hours but Harry couldn't sleep. He was too alone.

He looked to the small book he was reading about football with the torch he'd been given so they didn't have to give him an actual light for his 'room'. He wished he could go do things every other boy could. He turned the page when he felt something inside him burn. Like a light that was missing from his soul. It was there a part of him he didn't know. It stayed for a while then it was gone.

He was still for the longest while wishing it would come back. When it didn't he shook his head, probably just his dream for his mum and dad to come and get him, to take him from this awful, awful place.

**March 4 1991**

Willow smiled to herself as she was walking home from school; she had her Hello Kitty backpack over her shoulders and a flowery yellow sundress on. Xander and Jesse had gone to Jesse's house to play his new Nintendo he got for Christmas which was what they usually did nowadays.

Not that Willow minded, they still played with her at school, but all they ever talked about was Nintendo this, Nintendo that. Willow was teaching herself how her computer worked and found she could hook her computer to a phone line and began to find that she could write to people around the world on it. She was talking to two grad students from M.I.T. and a programmer in Germany, that to her was fun.

The redhead went down towards Sunnydale Lake. It wasn't very big, but it was pretty. Not many people went there because it was more out of the way than going to one of the parks, or the mall, even one of the coffee houses as most adults did. Willow liked the lake; there were trees and not many people about.

There was also no Cordelia Chase and her little nasty group of friends like Harmony Kendall who was stupid and mean. At least Cordelia had sense enough not to say something stupid when she didn't know what she was talking about, she'd just insult you worse. Willow's smile faded a little as she thought about how she spent a good deal of time trying to avoid her, Harmony was in her class but Cordelia wasn't. They always seemed to find her at least once a day.

Willow walked down the small path through the trees and shrubs and just forgot about Dorkadelia as Jesse and Xander named her. She came to the lake and found her favorite spot by a nice oak tree. She sat down and pulled out an apple and a baggie of crackers and a book on Greek Mythology. She was into the story of Perseus and the Gorgon Medusa.

She found her place and took out a cracker and began to read. Willow had made it to where Perseus was cutting off the head of Medusa when she heard a POP which made her jump a little. She looked around and saw a man in – robes, Merlin type robes. He was across the lake and he was looking for something on the ground. He pulled a book out of his pack and hurriedly looked through it and hunted the ground some more.

Willow set her book down on her lap and watched him curiously. He was an older man with brown hair and a bald patch on his head. He got on his knees and began to dig something up. He tucked it into a pack he had and looked for a few more bushes. He always kept looking over his shoulder, like something would be coming for him any minute. He was apparently done when he stood up and took out a stick from somewhere in the depths of his robes.

He waved the stick and with a POP he disappeared. Willow stood up when that happened, her book thumping to the ground. She hid around the tree to watch to see that the man truly was gone. She saw something fluttering about on the ground where he had been. It took her a few minutes to get her courage up and run quickly around the lake to see what it was.

Willow slowed as she came near the area. He had dug up plants, some were reddish looking, but they didn't look any different, not that she could tell. She saw that there was a book on the ground. The one the man had been looking through. Slowly she crept her way there. She picked it up; it was old looking, bound in green leather. It said 'Standard Book of Spells Grade 1" by Miranda Goshawk.

She opened it to find it was printed but inside the margins were covered with notes. Things like 'Plants that grow only at the Mouth of Hell' or 'List of places that sell Hellebore'. Willow looked to the drawn pictures then to the plants near the ones he had dug up. They looked like them. Apparently they were for a potion.

Willow did something very bad that day in her ten year old life. She took the book with her home and in the safety of her bedroom turned to the first page. Accio – the summoning charm.

Willow had found another thing to develop her mind, a book of magic. She read through it that night, staying up and reading it under the covers with a flashlight so her parents wouldn't know. The man had used a wand. Did she need a wand to do these things? She had thought about talking to Xander about it but she wanted it to be her own for now.

**July 31 1991**

Remus Lupin stood in a small alleyway watching as Hagrid, Gamekeeper at Hogwarts took Harry into Gringotts to his vault James and Lily had left for him. He was so small, especially put against Hagrid's giant frame. Harry was eleven years old today. Remus smiled absently to see how much Harry looked like James. He remembered twenty years ago when he had been sorted into Gryffindor and made friends with James and the other Marauders.

Now Harry was on his way to Hogwarts and away from the Dursley's for the better part of a year. He sighed to himself. Ten years and he still hadn't found his missing goddaughter. He would, he vowed on the graves of his friends he would find her. And hopefully protect Harry in someway as well.

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

**September 13 1992**

Willow had watched in dismay as all of her extended family, a few friends she had, the Rabbi and other members of her synagogue watched Xander's parents get smashing drunk at her Bat Mitzvah. Xander was partially mortified; more that others were witnessing it instead of it being at home.

It hadn't taken long after that with the celebration over she got the last kiss from her aunt as they left for home and she went up to her room. Willow enjoyed her religion; she just wasn't sure how much she believed in it. Magic was the worship of Satan in the eyes of the Jewish tradition. Willow never felt like she was worshipping Satan, because for a year she had had in her possession a spell book, a real spell book and she didn't feel evil. And like any good little scientist Willow began to experiment behind her parents backs.

She found different sizes and kinds of sticks like the one the magic man had used and waved them around while saying some of the words from the book. She had begun to study on plants more, most of the ones in the book that not even the encyclopedia knew of. If it didn't know how was she supposed to?

Willow had stayed with that one word, Accio for weeks. Waving sticks around and nothing happened. Then she finally just threw all the sticks away completely frustrated. She spent her time just reading the book then one day she looked across the room and held out her hand. "Accio!" she said looking to a book. It moved, she felt that shift in her and... well, it dropped off the countertop onto the floor which was something. Now she could call pencils, pens, pillows, even thin books to her from across the room and she was quite proud of herself. She was working on Alohamora and Windgardium Leviosa and she was asking on the internet about different plants, or finding her way into places to see what they knew on them as well as learning Latin which seemed to be the magic language.

"Willow!" her mother called out from down stairs. "Your father and I would like to talk with you."

Willow quickly dashed all thoughts of spells and that out of her mind as she went downstairs to find her father sitting at his desk in his study and her mother standing beside him. That was not good, sitting in the study meant it was a serious talk. She came in and they both smiled at her a little. They looked nervous. Why should they look nervous?

Willow fidgeted as she took the seat across from the desk. She was twelve, in the eyes of the Jewish ways she was an adult ready to take on adult things. Not too adult she hoped. Her father had a black jewelry box resting on his desk.

"I'm not getting married am I?" she asked them.

"What?" her mother asked, both of them looking surprised at this statement.

"I just- I am an adult like the rabbi said," Willow said softly. "I don't think I'm ready to get married though." She looked up at her parents. "I haven't even met a boy yet, except Xander and he doesn't think that way, he likes Nintendo too much."

Her father smiled as her mother frowned. "You aren't getting married, Willow," her mother said. "You're ready for adult responsibilities, not being an adult."

Willow blinked at this. That sounded much better.

"As for that," her father told her. "You need to take on some responsibilities." Willow nodded at this she was good at responsibilities. Her father opened the jewelry box and set it out for her. "This was with you the day social services found you," he told her.

Willow took the box and looked inside to see a pendant there with a willow tree engraved in it and the name Willow above it. She looked to them not understanding. "Found?"

Her mother nodded. "Your father and I decided that you were capable of handling this now, Willow. You are twelve." She sighed. "Your father and I never could have children. We decided that maybe it was time to look into adoption." Willow started to feel sick. "We heard about a little girl who had been found in a woman's backyard and went to see you."

Willow felt really ill. "I'm adopted?" she asked.

They both nodded to her. "I know this comes as a shock, Willow," her father said. It did, Willow leaned over and threw up on her father's expensive rug, and then she ran out of the house flinging the front door open with tears running down her cheeks.

"Willow Rosenberg!" her mother called out from the front door. "You come back this instant!"

She didn't, she ran until she got a stitch in her side. She stumbled to the ground as she wiped her tears away hiding behind a fence. They were lying! She thought to herself as she cried herself out. "They're lying," she said through her tears. Why would they do such a thing? On her Bat Mitzvah no less?

Willow looked to the box and she opened it and looked to the pendant again. Taking it out she saw that the etching was beautiful, it almost seemed like it moved. She looked to the back, there was nothing on it. She let out a slight sob as she leaned against the fence she had hidden behind. If she wasn't a Rosenberg then what was she? Shaking her head she felt sadness and anger well up in her. "Reducto!" she yelled a new word she had learned in her spell book as she pointed to a tree in a neighbor's yard. The thing shriveled up and turned to ash.

Willow looked revolted but felt mollified in a way as she looked to her finger then carefully tucked it into her fist, she wasn't a Rosenberg, she was a magic person.

And with that she had a problem; she didn't know any other magic people.

**oooooooooooo**

Harry had been crossing the lawns from Herbology with the other second years back to the castle to see Ginny Weasley walking towards the lake with a blonde girl her age.

"Who's that with Ginny?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged. "Don't know."

"McClay," Seamus offered up. "Tara McClay, she's from Ireland, or her ma is. Kathleen McClay. Dad was a squib from America, her mum didn't know, left him, so me mum says. Came back to Ireland with Tara, obliviated their existence from her dad's mind and all."

"How awful!" Hermione said.

"Nah, mean bastard," Seamus replied, he shrugged when Hermione looked appalled at his language. "He is. The Ministry over there was going to put him in Karavak for using potions on her so she'd forget she was a witch at all, same with Tara." He hitched his books up delighted to tell the story. "Came back this year, hear she's got her mum's gift."

Ron gave him a look. "As a Witch, that's hardly a stretch, mate."

"Nah," Seamus said grinning. "Gift of sight, auras, future telling, the McClay's are known all through Europe for it." He tapped his forehead. "Knows what's going on in your noggin just lookin' at ya. Her granddad, made them take her maiden name back, doesn't want anything to do with the squib so he's gone from their line altogether. Her mum's beautiful, has all the wizard's over there wantin' to date her."

"I don't remember seeing her in the common room," Harry said as they went up the steps into the castle.

"She wasn't," Hermione replied. "She was sorted into Hufflepuff."

"Fits," Seamus said. "So was her mum."

"How did she and Ginny get to be friends then?" Ron asked surprised he didn't know everything that his younger sibling was up to.

"It's only the first few weeks of school Ron," Hermione told him. "She's not Slytherin."

Hermione had a good point.

**September 1 1993**

Remus got on board the Hogwarts Express long before any of the children came along. He was exhausted; his change had been a bad one the last time. On top of that Willow was still lost to him. He had tried to refuse Albus's request that he teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He hadn't wanted to; Snape would have taken the offer easily. Albus said he wanted him to. Remus could see why, what with him being a werewolf and all, that would go over with the parents nicely. He had told him that teaching wasn't his focus. Finding Willow was. Albus countered with 'Harry needs your help more at the moment and you know where he is'.

Damn him. Remus set his briefcase down and settled into a seat by the window and looked out to the train station for the moment. He was right the fool. Harry did need his help; so far they had Quirrell who had been harboring the essence of Voldemort and Lockhart who didn't know his arse from a chizpurfle. Not that they were much different. He smiled at that. Then he sobered up. Sirius was free, he had escaped Azkaban. This could not happen. Harry safety was at stake and so was Willow's.

He settled down to sleep as children began to get on board. The door was opened a few times then hurriedly closed. He acted as though he was asleep. None of the children wanted to sit with an adult there. Finally some did, the others must be full. They wondered who he was. The girl mentioned his name and the boys were surprised, so was he then she said she read it on his case, smart girl.

Then there was the mention of Sirius and the boy called him Harry. Remus couldn't help it. He opened his eyes just a touch and there he was. James, young and glorious again, his long lost friend. Remus closed his eyes and fought not to listen to their conversation. How he missed his friends. How he longed for his childhood before everything became so damn hard. He caught the scent of Harry, now ingrained he would protect him as much as he could here.

There was more talking, a boy came to the door and the scent of anger and hatred came through the children. Malfoy, Lucius's whelp, apparently just as wicked as his sire. Of course he wouldn't start anything with him there and the boy left.

One boy mentioned about nearly being there. They couldn't of; Remus had excellent sense of time. The train began to slow and Remus felt it, something bad coming. The children were nervous now. The lights were out and they were stumbling over each other. Remus couldn't focus on that, it was the things coming that worried him. Their chaotic whispering was worse. "Quiet," he finally spoke up and the children became quiet. Remus cast a silent spell filling his hand with light. "Stay where you are," he told them as he got to his feet. The children all sat down.

Deathly quiet, a stillness as he reached for the door, it slid open before he could reach it and there it was. A spectre's figure, the bane of all wizards who dare to cast in with the wrong side and be damned to Azkaban for doing so, Dementors.

Remus heard Harry make a noise as the Dementor didn't move. "None of us are hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks, go," he told him, the Dementor reached towards the boy, then there was a thud to the ground. "Expecto Patronum," he muttered and a silver wolf came out of his wand and the Dementors left.

Remus turned back to see all of the children looking his way in awe. Harry was out cold on the floor. He sighed as he lifted Harry up to the seat. It was going to be a long year.

**December 1993**

It was snowing; Willow decided she didn't like snow. Huddled in her new overcoat she followed her mother and Aunt Nina into a large store in New York City. The Rosenberg's had come to celebrate Hanukah with her mother's family.

Willow was more quiet than before. More shy, now that she knew the truth. Xander couldn't understand why, and she didn't want to tell him. She was adopted, someone out there someone didn't want her and they dumped her in the trash and left her. She could feel the leather cord at her neck, the one holding the pendant. She didn't know why she wore it, but it was all she had to whatever life she was supposed to have. At first when she came home from running out of the house she tried to make sense of it all. Her parents of course tried to be rational and sit down and talk about it. What was there to talk about? And how did you tell your parents about it?

And then there was the whole being a magical person. After she zapped that tree over a year ago she'd been afraid of what she could do with it if she got mad enough. Not that she wanted to get mad, but how do you stop something like getting mad?

Willow buried her nose into the collar of her coat as she followed along; her mother had stopped to look into the perfume section. She sighed again. She hadn't stopped studying the book, but she invested a lot of time in her studying other things and her computer. The only thing she had found out about her before the Rosenberg's was the short piece on her in the newspaper and she was told about the news cast done that evening. Other than that, nothing, no one had been searching for a one year old redhead, no one.

"Willow?" her mother said. "Willow?"

Willow looked up to her and gave her a smile. She loved her mom, she just didn't understand her. "Yes, mom?"

"We're going to lunch then back to your aunt's. Okay?" she asked.

Willow nodded, she was hungry. They went outside and headed off down the street. The snow was picking up again and the crowds on the streets of New York were in a hurry. Willow followed the back of her mom as she shivered never wanting to come to a cold climate again. Glancing across the street Willow stopped in surprise. Between a fashion boutique and a new and used bookstore there was another place. Not that it was odd, but it looked old, older than her parents old. The brick was stone and it looked like something from the revolutionary war era. The doorway and windows were made out of the stones that arched up holding shuttered windows and a thick wood door. No one even noticed it was there. A few people that came out looked okay, but soon they were lost in the crowds

"Mom?" Willow said and looked to see that her mother was not in front of her anymore. The crowds had swept them away. Willow went still with fear; she was lost in New York. "Mom?" she called out. She ran along looking for her mom's beige coat. She now realized there were lots of beige coats. She crossed the street seeing a group of women over there. Tears welled in her eyes, it wasn't any of them. She looked down the walkway to see an old time blackened wood sign sticking out from up high where the weird door was. It said 'The Black Manticore' on it in glowing letters.

Willow carefully went down the street towards it. She had lost her mother, and she would figure her way back to her aunt's, but for now she needed to know what this was. Her sense of wanting to know outweighed her fear of being lost. She looked at it and looked to the people around her.

One man slowed. "Are you lost?" he asked.

Willow shook her head, she didn't know why, she should have nodded but she didn't. "Have you been here?" she asked pointing to the door.

The man looked to it then to her. "That's just a wall," he said a little worried. "Maybe you should get home."

Willow nodded as she watched him go. Willow took in a few breaths then stepped forward and touched the door. It opened and she looked in. "Hey! Shut the door girl!" a woman said.

Willow stepped in and shut it. She blinked a few times adjusting to the dimness of the place. It looked just as old in as it did out. The tables were a mix of wood and black metal and the smell about was of alcohol, smoke, and food.

"Where's your mom or dad at youngling?" a man asked from a nearby table.

Willow looked his way to see he was in robes, robes like the one the man at Sunnydale Lake was wearing. He had gray hair and a big moustache and a pipe between his teeth.

"She's probably off from the Academy for vacation, Talbot, leave the girl alone," the woman said. Willow put a face to her voice when she came in. She was old, around her mom's age with black hair and olive skin.

"No reason to be on the streets alone, less your mom is here," Talbot said. "Down in Kalispell Square I'll guess."

Willow looked his way confused. "Where?" she asked.

Talbot rolled his eyes as other patrons went to their meals and drinks again. The place was crowded. "'Where' she says, you from out of town?" he asked.

Willow nodded as a man came from out of the depths of the place towards the door. Willow moved out of his way and she looked out when he opened the door to see it was still New York City outside. "California," she replied.

"Ah, well," a woman said from another table. "You're a student at Crystalsea then, visiting relatives out here." She said that mostly to Talbot.

Willow nodded at this, sure, why not? "Crystalsea," Talbot said with a snort. "Headmaster there doesn't keep those children in line, not like Blackhaven or Hogwarts."

"It's new, more progressive out there," a younger man said.

"Two pregnancies are what the Sentinel said," Talbot replied. "You best watch yourself there, youngling," he said to Willow. "You're getting on to the age of finding a boyfriend. Don't let them fool you, wanting to get into your pa-,"

"Talbot!" the barkeep woman said. "I'm sure her parents have warned her about boys."

Actually, they hadn't, other than to never touch them, she did get a book and a lecture on childbearing which made her nauseous wondering how something that large came from down there. That had gotten her into reading medical textbooks and playing doctor with Xander and Jesse, they acted like G.I. Joe heroes coming home from battle with Cobra.

Willow didn't care to listen to anymore of that as she headed on in. "Down the left corridor sweetie," the barkeep said. "Straight through will take you on to the back exit to an alleyway don't go out that way, to dark for you. Okay?"

"Thanks," Willow said with a little wave. She went left.

She saw there were tables and fireplaces around. There was talk and eating and reading papers and books. Mostly it was talking. She stopped as she looked to a newspaper, tilting her head to see it better. Did that picture just move?

"Red," a drunken English voice said. "Merlin, you have her hair."

Willow looked the other way to see a very thin man with sandy brown hair that hung down in his eyes looking up at her from where he had been resting on the table, a half empty ale mug beside him. "Willow?" he said.

Willow's eyes went wide in shock as she backed up at this and the man blinked a few times seeing she recognized the name and looked at her closer. How did he know her name? He seemed to sniff the air. "Willow, Lily's Willow," he got out and stood up too quickly as the table slid forward like it was nothing, the man was stronger than he looked. "My Willow."

Willow backed up again as the man came forward. She ran through the tables away from the 'door on the left' and headed for the front door. The man ran after her blocking her path so she ran for the back door.

"Hey!" more than one person shouted. "What's going on? What's he doing?" More people got involved as one even tackled her chaser. Willow screamed as they went into a pile of tables and people right next to her and she dodged through the tables faster.

"Come here girl, it's okay!" a few said standing up and motioning her in their direction, wands were coming out and Willow was getting really scared.

The man roared and a lot of people stilled at the inhumanness of it. "Impedimenta!" the man said as he pulled people off him and raised his wand to Willow.

"Expelliarmus!" someone cast back and the two spells caught each other.

Willow ran for the doorway as adults tried to catch her. "She's mine!" the man roared. "That girl is mine!"

Willow tripped out of the doorway into the alley she landed hard on her knees wincing at the pain she felt in the right one but she scrambled up and ran as fast as she could, no spell could come to mind to defend herself with she was so scared, and they knew spells, spells from the book, she saw them being cast. The back door opened and the man crashed out making her jump and sprint as fast as she could go. Four men jump him and dragged him back inside as two took off after her.

Willow made it to the street and ran for the nearest normal looking store so they could call her mother. She hid around a corner and watched as the two men looked for her but their wands were in pockets and they looked like normal men, after a while they were gone from her sight and she hurried away.

**oooooooooooo**

Back at the Black Manticore Remus was held to the wall by a hex. He was breathing hard and trying not to struggle against it. The barkeep was there along with an auror. "What's the meaning of this?" the auror asked.

"You have to let me go!" Remus said. "That was my goddaughter!"

"You scared her to death!" a woman in the crowd called out.

"He's drunk, I don't think he knows what he's talking about," another woman by her said.

"Her parents are dead!" Remus told them. "I've been searching for her for twelve bloody years!"

That changed some attitudes. Being a godparent was very serious in the wizarding world. "Will a spell hold to that?" the auror asked.

Remus nodded. "Hurry please," he said. "I must find her."

"Who are her parents?" the auror asked. Remus went silent and it all went downhill after that. He spent four days in Salem's lockdown cells, two of them because they learned he was a Werewolf. When he returned to New York he lost her scent, but he knew it and he knew her face. She was Lily's alright. Now he had hope again as he apparated back to Britain.

**June 1994**

Remus looked to Harry as they walked with Dumbledore down to where a carriage was waiting for him. Remus had just resigned after Snape had informed his whole house that he was a werewolf. He believed the year to be wasted when he first came, but it had not. Three incredible things had happened. One, he had Willow's scent and had seen the young girl even for a brief moment to see she was Lily's child. Two, he had helped in teaching Willow's brother so that one day he would be able to protect himself and her and defend the wizarding world against Voldemort, and three, that one of his dearest friends was truly that, an honorable man horribly accused for a crime he didn't commit. It had been the friend he thought he had lost to Sirius long ago, Peter Pettigrew.

"Good-bye then Harry," he said to the young man. "It's been a pleasure teaching you and I'm sure we'll meet again sometime." Albus gave him a look over his half moon glasses.

Remus stepped into the carriage and waved to the two as it headed for the train station. "There's nothing to hold me back now, Harry," he murmured to the boy knowing he couldn't hear him. "I know her scent, I know she is in the States, and I know her face. Now, it is only a matter of time."

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

**September 1994**

School had started once again at Hogwarts, the feast in the Great Hall come and gone and new classes were starting this week. On their second day in, the Great Hall was full of whispering and talk. Harry and Hermione looked to each other as they sat down at the Gryffindor table by Neville and Dean Thomas.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

Dean smiled. "Here tell Ginny talked Tara McClay you know from Hufflepuff, into going to divination class with her this morning."

Hermione looked up from her plate at that. "Tara's quite good at it," she told them having been included in on Ginny's friendship with Tara.

"More so than Trelawney could ever be," Harry muttered. Trelawney was a nut.

Ginny came in with Tara and everyone looked their way. Tara's blue eyes hid behind a curtain of her dark blond hair and Ginny dragged her into the hall to the Hufflepuff table before she could try and leave.

Ginny said something to her then plopped herself down at the Gryffindor table and began to fill her plate with food. Harry and the others looked her way and she grinned. "It was wonderful!" she said quietly.

"What really happened?" Dean asked. "We've been hearing rumors about it."

Ginny giggled into her hand as Tara looked back at her for a moment; there was a ghost of a smile on the blond girl's face. "The Professor, she didn't know who Tara was, just visiting to see if she wanted to take her class next term."

"Why didn't she take it before now?" Dean asked. "She could have started second year."

Ginny couldn't help the peal of laughter that rang out then she covered her mouth again. "We-we watched as she talked about crystal balls and tea leaves and what we would be learning that year," Ginny said catching her breath. "Then she wanted us to do some astrology." She shook her head biting her lip so she didn't laugh. "Tara looked at her for a while then just sat there. T-the Professor came over and asked her why she wasn't doing anything. Tara said that astrology was for show, so were crystal balls."

Hermione began to laugh and Harry looked back at the Hufflepuff girl who was being coaxed into talking from her own House. "I bet Trelawney didn't like that," Harry said.

Ginny shook her head as she took a drink of pumpkin juice. "She started off on how Tara was just the student and she hadn't learned anything yet to make assumptions like that." She smiled as she looked to her friends. "Trelawney asked who her teacher was and Tara told her, her mother. Trelawney said her mother didn't know anything."

Even Neville winced at that. Since Tara had come and Kathleen McClay had returned home the British Wizarding world had learned just how powerful a diviner she was. Apparently Professor Trelawney hadn't kept up with that.

"That's not the best part!" Ginny said leaning over the table. "Trelawney and Tara's mum went here together! They're cousins going back a few generations! Then she told her that her aura was very grey and the Professor left the classroom!"

Harry was laughing by then. Hermione looked horrified but the others were laughing too. "I didn't know you were taking Divination this year," Hermione said.

"I'm not!" Ginny told her with a big smile. "I just wanted to see what would happen."

**oooooooooooo**

**January 1995**

The hallways of Sunnydale High were crowded as Willow quietly walked among them. Fourteen years old and half way through her freshman year, Christmas vacation was over and the first week of the new term was almost over as well since it was Friday. News was going around that there was going to be a new student coming to Sunnydale. That should be interesting. Willow turned the corner then moved over to the side lowering her head down a little as she saw the Queen of Mean and her harpies headed down the hallway.

"Willow, Willow, Willow," Cordelia said looking Willow's clothing over, overalls and a long-sleeved light, yet colorful sweater. "I thought the first grade was in this year," she said sarcastically. Cordelia herself was in a stunning outfit of shimmering blue pants that accentuated her hips, butt, and flat stomach and an ivory shirt that revealed her very growing cleavage for one so young. "Oh, I'm sorry," Cordelia said moving in a little too close cornering her victim as Willow leaned in against the wall so she didn't have to touch her, "it's not," Cordelia bit off into her ear. "Why don't you grow up and get some style."

The group of girls laughed at Willow's expense and headed off down the hallway. Willow took it in stride; she had been use to Cordelia's barbs for the majority of her life. They had left their mark; however, Willow never showed any part of her body off, why should she? She was thin and didn't have any bumps or curves. Everyone used 'pixish' or 'elfin' in her features. Who wanted to look at a half naked elfin creature with no boobs?

Willow had looked to the girls as they changed or showered in gym class. They all seemed to be growing up and out in places, she didn't seem to be. She blushed as girls walked past her with just towels on. What was up with that? Why was she shy about seeing other girls in towels? She had seen Jesse and Xander in towels for most of her life, that didn't bug her.

Willow let the memory go as she continued on down the hallway to her destination wishing she had the courage to use some of the spells she had in her book on the dark headed girl. She made it to her safe house where no one went, the Library. She smiled at this as she went through the double doors. It was a beautiful place with wood counters, tables and staircases and shelves of books and the new librarian was nice.

He was at the main table with another box of books, tall with graying hair and glasses and tweed. He was very British. Or at least what she thought British was anyway, newscasts of the royal family, the Beatles, and Doctor Who were all she had to go on.

"Hi Mr. Giles," Willow said as she came up to him.

He turned around really fast standing in front of the books he had taken out and looked confused. "Oh, hello there, um, Miss Rosenberg is it?" he asked with that accent, very British.

"Can I help?" she asked.

"Help?" he countered.

She nodded to the books about. "Help put books away."

"Oh, no, no thank you," he told her and she look sad. "I do have a nice collection over in the shelves you might be interested in looking at," he told her wanting to make the only student to even come into the library feel somewhat welcome.

She nodded and headed up the stairs to where he pointed. She saw that the books he had out of the box were really old. "Thanks," she told him.

It was a half an hour later when she sat down in a chair with a history book that never would have been found in a high school library let alone Sunnydale's caliber. Mr. Giles came by and saw what she was reading. "That's a nice one you have there," he said as he sat down by her and shifted his glasses up higher on his nose. "You truly are interested in history?"

Willow smiled and nodded. "And Math and Science, pretty much everything."

He nodded again. "It's getting on to the lunch hour. Do you have a class?"

This last hour had been a free period. Her mother didn't want her out of her own age group but the teacher passed her on knowing Calculus and next year when she was a sophomore she could start college calculus but UC Sunnydale didn't let students under sixteen start college courses at their high school without a parent or advisor to supervise, and her parents really were gone a lot. So the teacher gave her the period to be free, which made her a little bored, until Mr. Giles and his new books came to Sunnydale.

Willow nodded. "I have lunch and- and then I have science."

Mr. Giles smiled at the shy girl. "How would you like a cup of English tea?"

Willow smiled back as he went to his office.

**oooooooooooo**

It was the next Monday and Willow found herself in the courtyard of the High School alone, waiting for Xander and Jesse to come for lunch. Today hadn't been a good day; her parents had come home for the weekend only to mention that they had another conference in Japan and had to go to L.A. for a meeting first. And Xander had asked her for help with his Math which of course she'd do. But then he and Jesse talked about seeing the 'new girl' and of course they both lusted after her. Willow was fed up, three years and Xander always just saw her as one of the guys. And to kick the whole 'Willow's miserable day' into high gear Cordelia had come with the new girl, Buffy. And of course Willow got the 'softer side of Sears' joke once again all for the sake of the new girl to enjoy. Buffy didn't look that pleased at Cordelia's joke which was nice in a way. But Buffy was into style, her clothes, her hair, her makeup it was all on Cordelia's level, which wasn't her level, which meant she was back to the realm of high testosterone and bad jokes by Xander and Jesse.

"Uh, hi, Willow right?" a girl said.

Willow looked up from her sandwich to see Buffy standing there in knee high boots, a tight mini skirt, form fitting blouse and fabulous hair standing there looking at her. "Why? I mean hi," she got out.

Buffy's smile was friendly and she moved to sit down by her making Willow's eyes go wide. "Why don't we start with, 'Hi, I'm Buffy,' and, uh, then let's segue directly into me asking you for a favor. It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve hanging out with me for a while," the blond told her as she took out her own sack lunch.

Willow looked really confused. "But aren't you hanging out with Cordelia?"

"I can't do both?" Buffy asked with a smile.

Willow smiled back feeling more comfortable now; apparently Buffy was turning out to be nice. "Not legally," Willow told her honestly.

Buffy let out a sigh and looked to her. "Look, I really wanna get by here, new school, and- Cordelia's been really nice," she stopped looking to Willow who Cordelia was anything but nice to, "to me... anyway, but, um, I kinda have this burning desire not to flunk all my classes, and I heard a rumor that you were the person to talk to if I wanted to get caught up," Buffy finished.

Willow grinned at this. "I could help you. I have sixth period free, if you do, we could meet in the library."

Buffy looked unhappy at that. "Or not, we could meet someplace quieter," Buffy said. Willow gave her confused look. "Louder," Buffy amended. "That place kinda gives me the wiggins."

Willow nodded at this. "Most kids don't like it. I love it though; the new librarian is really cool."

"He's new?" Buffy said dryly.

Willow nodded. "He just started last week. He was a curator at some British museum, or- or THE British Museum, I'm not sure. He brought all these historical volumes and biographies -," she started only to see Buffy was getting the glassy eyed look and she felt stupid. "Am I the single dullest person alive?" she asked.

Buffy smiled her way. "Not at all," she said sincerely.

Willow and Buffy looked up as Xander hopped over the concrete wall to sit on top of it between the two of them. Buffy looked surprised to see him and Jesse show up and Willow introduced them. Xander of course stepped in and sat between them totally interested in Buffy and Willow sighed. What was the point? He was never going to care. She looked to Buffy sitting there like she just belonged, legs crossed, in clothes that were for grownups. Willow looked to her dress and sweater. Her mother had picked them out; Sheila told her she wasn't going to be a slut like the other girls. Good Jewish girls didn't need to show off their bodies, she was too young anyway, but apparently old enough to be on her own. Willow sighed; she wished she had Buffy's style. Something to wear that radiated beauty and an attitude that showed she was confident with her body. Willow cringed; she didn't think she could wear what Buffy was wearing.

"Are these guys bothering you?" Cordelia asked and Willow came out of her thoughts.

"Uh, no," Buffy said.

"She wasn't hanging out with us," Willow told her so that at least Buffy might still be part of the in crowd. Buffy gave her a look of disapproval.

Willow watched the two girls banter and she realized that Buffy was on Cordelia's level all the way, but Buffy actually cared about outcasts, that was new and rather nice. Then she watched as Jesse came on to Cordelia AGAIN, the boy never gave up. She heard Cordelia mention gym was canceled because of some dead guy found in a locker. Buffy perked up at that which was odd and left soon after. Cordelia removed Jesse's hand from her shoulder in disgust and she was gone as well.

"She's hot," Xander said as he sat down again looking at Willow while Jesse sat down across from them.

"Cordelia's always been hot," Jesse told him.

"Not her," Xander said as he pulled out a juice box and a half empty bag of cheetos from a big sack. "Buffy, she's hot." He smiled Willow's way and held out the bag of cheetos to her and she took a couple. "What were you guys talking about?"

"I'm going to tutor her," Willow said as she ate one of the cheesy orange snacks.

Xander and Jesse looked to each other. "Maybe you could do that as well," Xander said wiggling his eyebrows her way. "Teach us when you teach Buffy."

Willow sighed looking seriously at him. "I tried, you're hopeless."

"That would be a no," Jesse said as he took a big bite out of his sandwich.

"No?" Xander asked Willow.

Willow shook her head. "No."

Xander looked horrified as he clutched his heart dramatically. "Will said no, Jess," he told their friend. "She doesn't love me anymore," he cried out as he rolled onto the ground pretending he was dying. "For the love of god, why Willow why?" he said.

Willow rolled her eyes but smiled at his antics while Jesse poured water onto him from his bottle and Xander tried to kick him. Willow looked to where Buffy had gone to, she had to admit he was right, Buffy was hot. A hotness she could never hope to become.

**oooooooooooo**

Willow looked around to the loud music and people moving around her at The Bronze. She didn't mind going out so long as at least Xander was with her. He always made her feel like she had a reason to come. Jesse came to watch Cordelia. Willow sighed as she looked down at her brown corduroy pants and the light green shirt she had on trying to look less like her mom dressed her and more like a teenager.

She sat down at the counter and ordered a diet soda and pulled a packet of raisins from her pocket. Her parents were gone again and she felt alone in the house and Xander's plea along with Jesse's for her to come to the Bronze finally won through. But she was the only one here, she sighed as she dug a raisin out of the little red box.

"Hey!" a happy voice said.

Willow looked to see Buffy come her way dressed in a light blue jacket and black pants. She looked pretty, and Willow felt years behind again. "Oh, hi!" she said with a smile. Buffy walked around and sat on the stool next to her.

"Are you here with someone?" Buffy asked.

Willow shook her head. "I thought Xander and Jesse were going to show up."

"Oh, do you go out with either one of them?" Buffy asked as she ordered a drink.

Willow smiled and shook her head. "No, we're just friends, whole big group of friends. I-I-I don't date a whole lot, lately – actually," she said softly hoping it would disappear into the noise around them.

"Why not?" Buffy asked as she ate a cherry from the stick in her drink.

Willow looked at her in surprise. Like she didn't know? But she looked sincere. "It's hard for me to say anything cool, or- or witty," she stuttered a little. "Or at all," she told her seriously and Buffy smiled at that as she took a sip of her drink.

"It's not that bad," Buffy replied.

Willow shook her head. "No, it is. I think boys want girls who can talk."

Buffy grinned at that. "You really haven't been dating lately."

Or at all, Willow reminded her silently. Willow had never really been on a date. Guys just didn't seem to be interested. "It's probably easy for you," she told her.

Buffy made a face at that. "Yeah, real easy," she muttered.

"You don't seem shy," Willow clarified for her.

Buffy nodded a little at that and smiled. "Well, my philosophy, do you want to hear my philosophy?" she asked. Willow nodded curiously. "Life is short!" Willow looked intrigued. "Not original I grant you," she told her new friend. "But it's true. Why waste time being worried about some guy and if he's gonna laugh at you. Seize the moment," she said as she finished her drink. "'Cause tomorrow, you might be dead." Willow looked thoughtful about this as Buffy looked away then stood up. "I'll be back in a minute," she told Willow.

Willow shook her head. "That's okay; you don't have to come back."

Buffy gave her a look of friendly concern at her confidence and she put a hand on Willow's shoulder. "I'll be back in a minute," stating it firmly that she would be back, she wasn't abandoning her for someone else that apparently was a normal thought for her.

Buffy left and Willow turned and looked out to the crowd. "Seize the moment," she told herself. Why not? Xander didn't care and she needed to stop thinking about Cordelia's perfume and girls in towels because that was just crazy stuff.

She got off her stool and took her drink and headed out into the crowd. She stood around watching the band for a while when a cute guy came up to her. He smiled her way and she smiled back. "Hey, I'm Thomas," he told her over the noise.

"Willow," she replied as she looked to him, there was something about him that seemed off. She wasn't sure what but who knew? She didn't really know anything about guys other than Xander and Jesse.

He smiled. "Willow, I like it," he told her.

She nodded feeling a little awkward as she took a sip of her drink. "Are you in an upper grade at the high school?" she asked.

Thomas nodded at that. "Sure, I'm a senior," he said. "Hey, maybe we could get out of here and talk."

Willow smiled at this. She didn't need no stinkin' Xander! Her first shot out and she snagged a guy. She nodded. "Let's go."

He took her hand and led her out of the Bronze. They walked on in silence for a moment. "There's an ice cream place over on Wilkins," she told him and he nodded at that.

There was more silence and she stopped when he turned a corner that led into one of the cemeteries. Thomas stopped and looked her way. "Come on," he told her.

"The ice cream parlor's this way," Willow said feeling uncomfortable.

He smiled and took her hand. "I know a short cut," he replied and led her on in.

Willow hated the cemetery. All of them and Sunnydale had a lot. They went further in and finally she pulled him to stop. "This is far enough," she told him. "I want to go home."

"You can't, not yet," Thomas said. "Let's check out the mausoleum." He motioned to the one they were next to.

Willow shook her head and backed up a little. "I think I want to go home."

He grabbed her arm and flung her forward through the door and she slipped down the steps but righted herself on the crypt in there. "That wasn't funny!" she told him. Her knee still ached from her bad landing two years ago.

"It wasn't meant to be," he told her darkly and Willow backed up now to the other side of the mausoleum. This was bad; this was very, very bad. Willow racked her brain for a good spell to use against him to get out of here. Another girl came in, it was a pretty blond woman in a catholic uniform; it made her look like a stripper.

"This is the best you could do?" the blond woman asked him. That was making this very terrible. "She's skinny, not a lot of blood in her."

"I did better than you," Thomas told her.

"I brought someone," the blond said and the door opened. Jesse stumbled in holding his neck.

"Hey that was one hell of a hickey you gave me," Jesse said.

The blond grabbed the front of his sweater and threw him at Willow who caught him as he went down. "You fed?" Thomas asked.

The blond shrugged. "I was hungry."

Willow was really scared, but more than that, she was mad. She was about to cast a spell when someone spoke up. "Well, what's going on here?" It was Buffy. This just made things worse!

Buffy came in to the mausoleum. "Buffy get out!" Willow told her.

Buffy smiled her way but didn't take her eyes off the two that had thrown them in here. "No need Will," Buffy said. "Just wanted to say hi."

The blond was smiling. "You really shouldn't have come, at least not alone."

Buffy shrugged. "Who says I did?" she asked.

Xander came in at that looking winded from running. Willow shook her head at that. They were so screwed; a geek, a model, and two jokers walk into a mausoleum full of crazy people...

Buffy looked around. "Well, this was fun, love the decorations, let's do it again sometime. Xander? You want to help Willow and Jesse out?"

"Not so fast," the blond said as Xander went around Buffy towards them.

"What's with the outfits, by the way?" Buffy asked. "We have Debarge and Mary Catherine of the hookers club, could you be anymore noticeable?"

The blond woman tried to hit Buffy but she ducked and struck back knocking the woman over the crypt. It looked like it hurt. "Come on," Xander said as he got a hold of Jesse's arm.

"What about Buffy?" Willow asked.

"She'll be okay," Xander told her as they got Jesse out. He wasn't looking so good.

"We can't leave her there," Willow told him as he stopped dragging the two to a halt. "Xander?" He looked around and she looked with him. There were people everywhere and their faces looked hideous. "Oh no," she got out.

Xander let Jesse go. "Keep moving," he told them as he put up his fists for a fight.

Willow watched him. Xander didn't know how to fight, unless it was with his dad- okay, she'd keep moving. She stumbled as two of them caught up with her. Jesse was lost from her grasp and she struggled with the one on her. "Furnus!" she said holding his arm. Magic went from her into him. The thing screamed as he seemed to light on fire from the inside out. He ran around trying to find a way to put it out. Willow got up and ran looking for Jesse and Xander.

Willow cried out as she was tackled from behind and her head hit into the ground. She was flipped over and this thing with fangs held her down and lowered his face to her neck. Willow cried out but then the thing was gone, it flew off her with a grunt. She looked up to see Buffy standing there then the blond was off and running.

Willow got up and followed her. There were two of the weird human things dragging Xander along, he was unconscious. Willow watched in awe as Buffy kicked the crap out of one and the other ran off. What was going on?

Xander woke up as Willow and Buffy got to him. "Where's Jesse?" Buffy asked looking around.

Willow shook her head. None of them knew.

**oooooooooooo**

Buffy sat Willow down in a chair in the library. Willow blinked a few times as Giles spoke; she didn't catch any of it. "What?" Willow said. "There are what?"

"Vampires, things not of this world, demons that hunt the night," Mr. Giles said as he polished his glasses.

"We gotta find Jesse," Xander said.

"Vampires?" Willow got out. "Real vampires, blood sucking vampires."

"Breathe, Will," Buffy said putting a hand on her arm.

"Breathe," Willow repeated taking a deep breath and shook her head as she reached for her pendant through her shirt and held it feeling the comfort there.

She didn't listen as she tried to encompass it into her mind. She knew a lot of stuff; she even knew weird stuff she didn't think anyone could handle, like her being a spell caster. Now, she had just learned that Vampires were real, demons were real and that Buffy was one girl called one at a time to be the Chosen one, The Vampire Slayer. If she hadn't of come when she did, Willow wondered if her magic abilities would have been enough to save her. She wondered if she'd be dead, or worse, wherever Jesse was right now.

"We have to find him!" Xander was saying and Willow let the world rush back in.

"They could have taken him anywhere," Buffy told him as she shifted the ice pack on her arm. "They could have gotten him clear from the graveyard and voom!"

Xander looked surprised. "They can fly?"

"They can drive," Buffy replied.

"I didn't hear a car," Willow said.

"Then we have to assume then went underground. We could look in the public records, tunnels and such sort," Giles said rubbing his forehead.

"We so don't have that kind of time," Buffy told him.

Willow looked her way. "I could, I mean, I could look on the computer."

Giles looked to the unused thing at the end of the library table. "You know how?" he asked.

Willow nodded. "Will is an ace hacker," Xander said. Willow scowled at him. "Slacker!" he amended, that wasn't right either. "She's really good," he said lamely.

Willow went to it and started it up she looked to Buffy who looked worried and mad. "We'll find something Buffy," she told her gently. Buffy smiled but Willow had a feeling she wouldn't be happy until she found Jesse safe.

It took a little time but she found it and Buffy realized the big vampire hadn't come into the mausoleum; he was leaving it so the entrance had to be inside of it. Buffy left after arguing with Xander that she was going on her own. Xander left to follow her, Willow knew it, and he knew she knew it. Willow stayed to help Giles work on something called The Harvest, gates of hell, rivers of blood. Sounded like fun. Not.

Willow skimmed through the internet looking up different topics that she and Xander had discussed before he went to class. She snorted to herself at that. Reign of toads, gross. Blood, vampires, more gross. She was getting angry though; Cordelia and Harmony were at another station talking bad about Buffy, something about the bathroom and a sharp piece of wood.

"She's a psycho loony," Cordelia was saying.

"She is not," Willow said not believing she had opened her mouth but she had.

"Excuse me?" Cordelia shot back acidly.

"She's not a psycho, you don't even know her," Willow told her.

"Really, and who gave you the right to exist?" Cordelia said. Willow looked away. She could only stand up to so much venom. "Horn in on my conversation will you," Cordelia muttered.

"Maybe you should focus on your own work and not other people," the teacher told her.

Cordelia stilled as Harmony made a horrified face. Willow glanced over to see Ms. Calendar, the computer teacher standing behind Cordelia.

"I didn't mean anything by it, just talk," Cordelia said. She liked Ms. Calendar.

"Uh huh," Ms. Calendar replied. "Finish your project." She left and came up to Willow's station and looked at her stuff. "Reign of fire?" Ms. Calendar asked quietly. "She's not worth it, Willow. Trust me," she said patting her shoulder she went back to looking in on her students. Willow smiled. Ms. Calendar was cool. She shut off her machine and went to get her papers she printed out.

"It's done, how do we save it?" Harmony asked as the bell rang.

"Deliver," Willow said with a straight face as she took her papers and left.

"Oh," Cordelia replied and hit the DEL and looked to the screen. It went blank and Cordelia's eyes went wide. "NO!"

Willow swore she heard Ms. Calendar chuckling at that as she left.

**oooooooooooo**

Willow looked to the outside of the Bronze from where she, Xander, Buffy and Giles had come here to stop the Harvest. To stop some big time vampire who came to Sunnydale sixty years or so ago and got stuck. Now he needed a surrogate vampire to drain blood to give him enough power to get free from his prison. She thought she'd had all the shock factor she could handle for the last 24 hours. Buffy and Xander had come back from their hunt for Jesse and she knew. Jesse was dead, he was a vampire. She couldn't believe it. She felt a hand on her back as they stopped to regroup.

"Focus," Giles told her. "For the moment it's all that matters now." All of them heard it.

Buffy handed Willow her bag with stakes, crosses and holy water in it. "You guys go around the back and get them out. I'll take care of the rest and don't go all Wild Bunch on me."

Willow followed Giles and Xander around to the back. She was scared, but this was bad, more than bad, very bad. All the doors were locked. "This is bad," Willow told them.

"We need to do something before Jesse does something stupider than usual," Xander told them.

Giles turned on them very serious. "He is not your friend," he bit out to Xander so he'd understand. "Jesse is dead and that thing that's in there is what killed him." He looked to the two of them making sure they understood that he wasn't joking about this.

They found a crowbar and between Giles and Xander broke the lock on the back door and quietly hurried in and peered around to see what was going on. Buffy was fighting the big scary vampire with the triad mark on his forehead. The crowds were looking scared and the vampires were just watching.

Xander snuck in and began to motion the crowd to quietly go to where Giles and Willow were. "One at a time, quickly!" Giles said. "We're going to have to open the front," he told her seeing it was taking too long. He hurried to the other side of the room and Willow turned her attention from him to move others out.

She looked back to see the blond vampire from the mausoleum on top of Giles trying to bite him. "Sudo inflamari!" Willow said under her breath as Darla's fangs came awfully close to Giles's neck. Blue shot from her hand to Darla's sweater and the whole thing lit on fire. Darla was up and screaming, she ran out of the Bronze trying to get it off. Giles looked surprised at her as she came running up to help him.

"Willow," he started.

"We better get the rest of them," she told him.

He was silent for a long moment. "Yes, quite," he replied. But the look in his eyes said he saw what had happened.

They came to see Buffy stake Luke and she looked to the other vampires and they ran. Xander looked miserable as he came up to them; he had staked what was the remainder of Jesse.

"Apocalypse averted," Buffy told them.

"One thing's for sure," Xander said putting his arm around both Buffy and Willow as they left. "Nothing's ever going to be the same around here again."

**oooooooooooo**

They had jested about it and the future of what was to come the next day at school, mostly to rile Giles up. Cordelia and the others blew it off as some weird happening. They knew and Willow was a little scared.

It was getting late and Willow was in the kitchen reading over her spell book and one of the various notebooks she had on her study of this one book. Things had changed; she had a purpose for her magic now. How to use it, she was learning, she had to be careful because she could hurt someone. Giles, she could deny anything happened. She wasn't sure how to tell him, or Buffy, worse would be Xander.

No Jesse to tell anymore. Jesse was gone forever. Tears welled up in her eyes as she closed her books, one of her oldest friends gone forever. She'd never had someone really close to her die before.

There was a small knock at her door, the beat of the tap she knew. She swept her books up and stuck them in her bag as a dark head peered around the doorway. "Hey," Xander said as he came in with a paper bag.

"Hey," Willow replied as she looked to the table as a tear spilt out from her lashes.

Xander sat down beside her and pulled a six pack of beer out. Willow looked his way. "Gotta have a wake," he said shrugging. "My dad'll never know."

"By getting drunk?" she asked.

He shrugged again as he looked to them. "Sounded good at the time." She nodded at this and they were silent for a long moment. "It's weird you know," Xander said. "One minute he's there and the next voom."

Willow smiled as she looked up at her friend. "Jesse never had a car."

Xander smiled, his eyes were watery too. "I figure now he can fly."

Willow couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. Xander wrapped his arms around her and held her as they said goodbye to their friend.

**To Be Continued…**


	6. Chapter 6

Willow hummed to herself as she moved through the stacks of books Giles had from his own collection in the Sunnydale High library. He had collected them during his career as a watcher. There hadn't been anything going on to study up about but Willow found she enjoyed just looking, and reading, and sometimes getting more than a little grossed out at the sick machinations of the evil undead.

At fourteen, almost fifteen Willow had seen more than a lot in the past two weeks of her life, Jesse dying, vampires, living on a Hellmouth, which explained quite a bit of her odd childhood, meeting the mythical Slayer and becoming best friends with her. She thought maybe the spells she could do had to do with being on the Hellmouth, but then how did the adults in New York do them? And it wasn't like she could ask Giles about it, though from the looks he gave her once in a while she thought he might but she always found an excuse to leave if it was just the two of them alone. What if he told her she was evil? What if she was evil and didn't know it? She didn't feel evil. Wouldn't Buffy know if she was evil?

Tonight Willow was going to start tutoring Buffy at home so she didn't fail all her classes, Willow was already three months ahead of her reading and had added extra credit to all of it, so far, she was still four point oh and lovin' it. And the cheerleading tryouts were going to start tomorrow which meant Xander was going to go check out the girls, so she'd probably go check them out too. Willow stopped at that thought and rethought it. Check them out for their cheerleading, she amended. Willow nodded acceptance at that and continued looking as she came to a box on the floor that Giles hadn't finished unpacking. She crouched down and looked through them. They were odd books, dusty, and looked like they'd been touched very little. "Gothart's Demons and Devils, Nexus Imperium…" she stopped reading the titles out loud when she came to the next one and took it out, Charms, Spells and Incantations.

"Will?" Buffy called out as she came into the library. "Are you ready to go?"

Willow bit on her lower lip looking indecisive. "Uh, yeah, just a minute," Willow called back as she put the other books back and held the other one next to her as she went to look out and see where everyone was at. Xander wasn't there which was surprising seeing how much he was still drooling after the blond slayer. Buffy was sitting on the end of the big table in the center of the library and Giles was no where to be seen. She hurried down and Buffy smiled her way.

"You know, school's been over for a while," Buffy said. "You can stop reading for a few minutes."

Willow smiled at that as she went to her backpack and tucked the book in as Buffy popped her gum watching the doorway. Buffy was the coolest best friend, as cool as Xander even. Where Xander had years to build their friendship up, Buffy was a girl- an actual girlfriend that she could tell stuff to that Xander would never care about in his entire life. And for as cool as she was, Buffy wanted her to be her friend and that only made Buffy more of a best friend.

"You know if you babble in your mind for too long it's going to explode," Buffy told her.

Willow looked up to see her looking her way. She blushed as she closed her backpack and put it on. "I wasn't babbling," she retorted and Buffy gave her a look. "Much."

Buffy smiled as she hopped off the table and slid her arm into Willow's and they headed for the door to the library. "I save my thinking for class only."

Giles came out from his office just then. "Buffy, good you're here," he said and the two girls stopped. "We need to talk about a schedule for your training."

Buffy made a face. "We'll have to do it later in the day; I'm going to try out for cheerleading tomorrow."

Willow made a face and looked more than a little scared. "Cheerleading?" she asked.

Buffy shrugged. "It looks like fun, I'm cheery, I can cheer for others. I was on my Junior High squad in L.A."

Giles made a face as he pulled off his glassed. "Buffy, you don't have time for th-," he started only to be cut off.

"No!" Buffy said looking firm "its exercise and it'll be good for my grades."

Giles didn't look that impressed. "Slaying is more important, Buffy."

"I want to, no, I need to do this, get something normal in my life, Giles," she countered. She folded her arms looking very serious. Willow figured he'd give in eventually with that look on her face, and he did.

**oooooooooooo**

"Mom, I'm home!" Buffy called out as she headed into the small foyer of the Summer's residence with Willow behind her. The two didn't live that far apart from each other. Willow's house was about a quarter of a mile away in a richer area of the neighborhood.

Joyce Summers came out from the kitchen wiping her hands on a dish towel as the two put their bags on the dining room table. "Hey sweetie," she said as she came in with a smile. "How was school?"

Buffy made a face. "Same old school."

Joyce nodded with a look of resignation; Buffy just wasn't set on being a student. She looked to Willow then to Buffy. "Oh!" Buffy said smiling as she put her arm about Willow who looked shy but had a friendly grin. "Mom, Willow, Willow, Mom," Buffy said.

Joyce smiled as Willow grinned. She held out her hand to the redhead. "Willow, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Willow shook it. "A-and you Mrs. Summers," Willow said.

"Buffy's mentioned a lot about you and Xander is it?" Joyce told her.

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "Xander's my best friend; he'll probably follow us back here one day."

Joyce chuckled at that. "Willow's going to help me get caught up," Buffy told her.

Joyce looked impressed. "Well then, Willow you're welcome to the Summers house anytime you want."

Willow nodded a little at that. "Thanks, Mrs. Summers." Joyce headed into the kitchen as the two got their books and headed upstairs. "She seems really nice, Buffy," Willow said.

Buffy nodded. "My mom's cool," she replied as she led her into her room and watched as Willow looked around. "She's just so wanting to know every part of my life, EVERY part," Buffy said with a meaning to her voice.

Willow nodded then shook her head. "Once I had my bat mitzvah, my parents figured I could do things on my own."

Buffy gave her a look as she sat down on the end of her bed and patted a spot for Willow to join her. "Not so big on the Jewish terms, what's that?"

"It basically means when a girl turns twelve and a boy thirteen that you can take on adult responsibilities," Willow said as she pulled a few school books from her bag.

Buffy grimaced at this. "Wow, that's young."

"And you get lots of presents," Willow replied. Especially from her relatives back east, she had a little over ten thousand dollars in her savings account for college.

"Hmm, better," Buffy said as she took her shoes off and got out her own school books. "But they're home, right. You see them?"

"Once in a while, it's basically me and Xander when he comes over," Willow told her with a shrug.

Buffy looked more surprised and shocked at this. "You mean they really just leave you alone? All the time?"

Willow shrugged. "It's not that bad."

Buffy made a face that she didn't agree, but not where Willow could see it. She looked to the door of her room. "I bet my mom wishes she could do that. Here you go honey, you're an adult. See ya later."

Willow smiled a little. She'd heard about how Buffy's mom was on her case about missing school and getting low grades. But then Mrs. Summers didn't know that Buffy was the Slayer either. "I thought I was going to have to get married." Buffy looked her way confused. "At my bat mitzvah."

Buffy laughed at that. "At twelve? Why?"

Willow shrugged. "It was an adult thing, I figured when you're an adult you get married. And my dad had a jewelry box."

"Why?" Buffy asked curiously.

Willow reached up and felt her pendant. "Just giving me a piece of my past," she said softly.

Buffy watched her for a moment, she knew if Willow wanted to tell her she would. If not, she'd bug her about it later. "Want me to show you my cheer for tomorrow?"

Willow nodded, she'd never done the girly friendship stuff before, history could wait.

**oooooooooooo**

Willow followed Xander into the gym after school the next day. Xander had three candy bars, two sodas, and a pack of mini donuts as they climbed the bleachers to an upper tier. Xander was happy as he sat down and handed her the donuts and opened his Snickers bar and watched the pretty girls in short skirts.

Willow watched too. Buffy was going through her routine which Willow thought was really good. Cordelia was of course center stage having been head cheerleader at Wilkins Junior High last year.

"Hey," Xander said through a mouthful of chocolate and peanuts. "Isn't that Amy?"

Willow looked over to see an old friend of hers, Amy Madison. Okay, this was odd for her, Amy hated cheerleading. Mostly because her mom was a cheerleader in high school and became obsessive about it after it was over. She'd never met Mrs. Madison; Amy always came over to her place. Then they just sorta stopped being friends a few years ago, Amy did her own thing and Willow learned she was a magic person.

Buffy waved to them and they waved back, Xander giving her a thumbs up and drooling over her again. "Short skirts," Xander said with a grin, "me like."

Willow rolled her eyes at that but she noticed Cordelia's skirt then turned to the project of opening her package of donuts carefully.

**oooooooooooo**

"That was just weird, a-and sad," Willow said as she walked Buffy home from the tryouts. Or more like Buffy was walking Willow home. "The whole light up on fire thing." A girl's hands in tryouts lit up on fire. Buffy saved her with some quick thinking.

Buffy nodded. "It's a wiggy, but seeing where we live-,"

"Not so wiggy," Willow finished for her and Buffy nodded again. They came up to Willow's house and there were lights on.

"Your parents home?" Buffy asked.

"Timer lights," Willow told her. "They'll be back in a week, conference in New York."

"You know Will; you can come stay at my house any time. My mom thinks you're the best thing since Eggo waffles," Buffy told her seriously.

Willow smiled at that. "She even invited me to dinner."

Buffy nodded. How could she not? Buffy had asked and Joyce had asked about Willow's parents and once she heard about Willow's situation dinner was a definite 'go'.

"You wanna come in?" Willow asked.

Buffy shook her head. "I still have homework before patrolling."

"I could come patrol with you," Willow offered even though she wasn't sure what she could do, other than give moral support.

Buffy shook her head again but the smile she got for offering made it worth it. "No thanks, Will. Giles is still field rating me."

Willow smiled at that and watched as Buffy headed off across the street at a quick running clip. She set her books down and found herself something to eat. Macaroni and cheese from a TV dinner wasn't so bad. Willow nuked it as she headed upstairs returning with her newest borrowed item. The spell book from Giles, she spent so long at Buffy's last night and then today at school this was the first time she had gotten a chance to look at it.

Setting her dinner on the dining room table she flipped through the book as she ate a few bites here and there. It was very different from the spell book she had now. It wasn't one word, it was sentences and it didn't really explain what the spell did. She decided on one and left the room for a moment and came back with a small potted plant. It had long green leaves and a stalky base.

She picked up her book and read the spell again and then looked at the plant and pointed her finger at it. "Bona orbis terrarium, sero, terra. Niteo per haud opus," she said. Magic flew from her finger but it went crazy. It hit the plant on the table and other bits whooshed around the house making Willow duck at one point so she wouldn't get hit. She squeaked as she dodged it hiding under the table. No, no, no! Her parents were going to kill her if the house was damaged! She heard pings, and something broke which really wasn't good and then finally everything went quiet.

Shaking Willow opened her eyes and looked to see one big plant by the china cabinet was very dead looking, the pot was shattered. Something moved over the edge of the table, slowly Willow got out to see the plant she had put there was growing. But not a little bit, a lot. The leaves were flowing and the stalks getting thicker and longer. "Oh no," she got out as she dropped the spell book and ran out into the backyard. "No vampires, no vampires," she prayed in mantra to whomever was listening as she sprinted to the tool shed and tried to remember the combination her mind was working so fast. She got in and out with a pair of hedge trimmers and ran back inside. Leaves were coming into the kitchen and she got a chef's knife from the knife block and began to slice her way through the foliage back to the table.

Willow sat back as she trimmed the plant down to the dirt but it was still growing. Tears had come and she was shivering in fear and shock not knowing what to do. She ran upstairs and got the spellbook that worked for her. She hurried through it looking as she ran back downstairs. She pointed at it. "Finite incantatem!" she said seriously. The plant stopped growing. She waited for a long minute to make sure. She looked to the other house plants, half of them were dead. A few looked okay until she realized they were the fake ones. Two ferns had interlinked together but they weren't out of control. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain that to her parents. When she was sure everything was okay she hurried to the bathroom, she was lucky she didn't wet herself when it first started she scared herself so bad.

**oooooooooooo**

Willow sat in the school library four days later. She was stunned at all that had happened. More weird things had been going on. One cheerleader actually lost her mouth, Cordelia was blind, Buffy was sweating and acting like she was on a load of drugs this morning and now she was just sweating and acting – well like on another load of drugs but downer drugs. She looked really sick and they were talking about Amy doing witchcraft. And they were talking like witchcraft was bad.

"How do we reverse the spell?" Xander asked.

Giles was looking through a book and watching over Buffy who was lying down. "We need Amy's spell book, if it is Amy," Giles said as he wiped off Buffy's brow with a cool cloth. "We don't know actually know that it is Amy."

"We know," Buffy said tiredly. "Who else could it be?"

"If we can't get her spell book?" Willow asked. What was so amazing about a spell book? She had one but it wasn't crucial to anything now that she learned the stuff from it.

"Then we'll have to cut her head off," Giles told her.

Xander nodded. "Off with her head!"

Willow knew that the anger in his voice was that Buffy was hurt, not that someone was a witch, hopefully. Willow saw Giles was watching her closely.

"It's not Amy's fault, she only became a witch to survive her mother," Buffy said now that she had gotten to know Amy through cheerleading.

"There are ways to tell a witch," Giles told them. He took out a small gold looking item that had a pentagram in it. He threw it to Willow who instinctively caught it. She looked shocked as she held it, wondering what in the world he was up to but then he looked surprised.

Xander took it from her and looked to it. "How does it work?" he asked.

"It- it's supposed to make the witch glow if she has any power," Giles said taking off his glasses for a moment.

Buffy was watching the weirdness between Giles and Willow. Willow looked confused and closed off before they even got this far into their conversation now she added upset to that. "Xander and Willow can go find Amy and see if she glows from touching it," Giles said. "If not we'll go over to her house and confront the mother."

Willow walked along the school hallway with Xander who was flipping the 'witch detector' up in the air. Willow was a little put out with Giles, but in a way she understood his thinking. If she was a witch he would want to know for certain. She also didn't understand why it didn't glow either.

"I have to go pick something up," Willow told her friend as the lunch bell rang. "It won't take long."

Xander nodded. "I'll keep on the hunt for our little witchy cheerleader."

Willow hurried for the gates to the school watching out for any school authority like the principal. She'd never actually left during the middle of school before but this was important, especially if she wanted to help Buffy.

**oooooooooooo**

Willow jogged over to the Madison house. She knew Amy or she hoped she still knew Amy. She hurried up the walkway to the front door and danced around just a little getting her nerve up to ring the doorbell. She didn't have to when it opened to reveal Amy in her cheerleading outfit.

"Hey Amy," Willow squeaked out. She didn't expect her to be here during school hours.

Amy smiled; it didn't make it to her eyes. "Hey Willow," she replied. "What's up?"

"Um, could I talk to you for a minute?" Willow asked.

Amy nodded and opened the door wider. "Come on in."

Willow peered in. "Maybe we could talk outside, if your mom's here I mean."

Amy smiled at this. "She is, but she's busy, we can go to my room."

Willow smiled back. "Okay, thanks. I just needed to ta-," she didn't say anymore when she stepped over the threshold of the house. Every bone in her body went limp but she was still awake.

"Amy! Come and help me!" Amy yelled.

"You- Amy," Willow said dazedly.

Amy smiled cruelly at her. "Hardly," she replied as Mrs. Madison appeared looking very scared as she picked up Willow's legs and they began to take her upstairs.

Willow looked up at Amy's form. "Expel-," she got out only to have Amy clamp her hand over her mouth.

"I know what you are little witch," Amy said. "Do not try it with me."

Amy wrenched her around and carried her up and into a small scary room putting her on the floor in the corner. It was stinky and dark and just nasty with pots and icky looking things hanging around. "Out!" she ordered at Mrs. Madison who scurried away. She shut the door and turned to where Willow was just getting some movement back in her fingers. Then all of the sudden Amy was on top of her rifling through her clothing.

"Hey," Willow protested.

"Where is it?" Amy commanded. Willow couldn't fight her off; she couldn't move that well yet. Amy even pulled off her shoes and socks and then came back up to grab the collar of her shirt yanking her head up off the ground; her eyes were mean and angry. "Where's your wand?"

Willow shook her head. "Don't have one," she got out.

Amy looked confused. "You're a witch, how could you not have a wand?" She looked at her again and then spoke a few words in a language she didn't know and touched Willow's forehead with the palm of her hand and Willow screamed. The pain was unbelievable.

Amy laughed and laughed. "You're wandless!" she said with glee, her face right up to Willow's. "A wandless witch, I can do so much with this body, the wizarding world will never know what hit them!"

She got up and went to a cupboard and began to mix a few things. "Rosenberg isn't a wizarding family name unless you're a mudblood. Are you?"

Willow finally got her hands to her head to hold it. Amy came back and grabbed her shirt and lifted her up and they struggled but Amy got her to swallow something nasty then held her hand over Willow's mouth so she wouldn't throw it up. "That's the poor witch's form of Veritaserum, do you know what that is?" she asked. Willow shook her head. "The ultimate in truth potions, you will tell me everything I want to know about everything you know."

Willow coughed as she backed up to a wall, she felt so ill and she wished she'd been honest with Xander and Buffy and Giles about what she could do so she wouldn't be here right now.

"Now tell me Willow," Amy said. "What's your name?"

"Willow Danielle Rosenberg," Willow said. She couldn't stop herself it just came out.

Amy smirked. "Are you a mudblood?"

"I don't know what that is," Willow replied.

"Do you have a wand?"

"No."

"You do magic without a wand?" Amy said.

Willow nodded. "Yes." She tried to stand up but Amy kicked her feet out from underneath her and Willow landed hard on her back smacking her head on the floor.

"I wouldn't try that again," Amy said. "You've got no padding for it and it must hurt."

It did, Willow fought the tears. Amy knelt over her and looked her in the eyes. "Why are you so concerned about Buffy?" she asked.

"She's my friend," Willow said. She struggled. "She's the Slayer."

Amy's eyes lit up. "Really? Everyone believes them to be a myth; her blood would do well in potions." She turned back to her. "How did you learn to do spells?"

"A book, I found a book at Sunnydale Lake," Willow told her.

"A spell book?"

"Yes."

Amy smiled at this. "I have those. But I have no wand," she told her as she heard an alarm go off. "When I return you and I will do a little spell together that will give me your power and you can have Amy's."

Willow watched her leave and something was spoken over the door. Willow had a feeling Amy was going to change their bodies and Willow liked her body and didn't want to lose it, especially not to her. She slowly got up and her body felt like a mass of pain. She went over to the door and it wouldn't budge. "Alohamora," she said over it. It didn't move. Crap.

Willow didn't know many opening spells so she decided to look through what Amy had here, or should she say Mrs. Madison in Amy's body. Gross.

She gave wide berth to the boiling pots and she saw little Barbie dolls dressed up like cheerleaders with things on them or tied around them. Ew. She looked through the cupboards and found a chest in front and opened it. Inside was a spell book that just a touch of it and she felt dark crawl along her skin. She didn't see the tips of her hair turn black. She set it aside and looked through the rest of it. She found a bag filled with odd looking money; gold, silver and copper, the biggest one said galleon on it. She put that to the other side of the chest and found a book of potions. It was called Advanced Potion Making. She looked at it and it seemed like one that could help her. She found three other books, one on transfiguration, a grade 6 standard book of spells by the same author as her book, and the last one was Magick Most Evile.

Willow didn't like the sound of that one but saw that it was her kind of magic and maybe it would get her out of there. She found old photos and the people were moving like what she swore she saw in that place in New York. And there was a book; it had newspaper clippings in it all from the spell casters newspapers, because the people moved.

There was a picture of Catherine Madison on it but a lot younger. She was in robes like the New York people and she looked really scary angry. She also looked like a stuck up Cordelia with the snotty look on her face. Willow coughed out the nasty fumes in the air as she read it.

"Morgana Burgeis, one of seven students at Blackhaven Academy escaped Ministry Aurors in Whitegrass, Ohio awaiting transport to Karavak Prison. Burgeis, claiming to be a purist, was found guilty of torture, murder, rape and dark wizardry by the Salem Wizengamot. Reward for her capture is five thousand galleons, dead or alive."

Willow sat back and moved the Magick Most Evile book to the bad pile.

**oooooooooooo**

Xander came back from lunch to see Buffy wasn't looking any better. "Everyone's leaving for the game, and no Amy so no testing," he told them holding up the pentagram. "What's the plan?"

Giles looked up at him. "Where's Willow?"

Xander looked around. "She said she would come here, she had to get something." He looked around a little more. "She's not here?"

Giles gave him a look. "If she was, would I ask?" he replied testily. He stood up and helped Buffy up. "I need you to go watch Amy. We're going to get the spell book then we need things," he said straining as he held Buffy up where she stood limply against him, "from the science lab, keep your eye on her when you find her."

Xander nodded. "What about Willow?"

"She'll come," Giles told him as they left.

Xander headed for the gym where the band was playing to get the crowd excited. Buffy looked up to Giles. "You know where she is?"

"I have an idea," he told her as he helped her out to his car.

**oooooooooooo**

Willow put everything back into the chest save for Amy's spell book, the weird looking coins, and the two books she took out. She leaned against the door as she searched through the books looking for something. The fumes were making her really sick. She pounded against the door again. "Amy!" she called out. "Let me out!" Like before there was no noise, so Amy in Catherine's or should she say Morgana 'the bitch' Burgeis's body wasn't answering or listening. She found new spells and looking through the other spell book made her feel a little funny. "Evanseco," she said to the coins and the two books that weren't tainted and they vanished. She stood up and with all the strength she had left in her she tried once more with a new spell she found in the books. "Bombarda!" she said pointing at the door.

The door blew up and knocked Willow back into the wall knocking her out. 'Amy' hurried down the stairs looking scared to death.

**oooooooooooo**

It wasn't long afterward that Giles and Buffy made their way to the Madison's house and 'Amy' was bullied into helping them. Giles hurried up the stairs following 'Amy' to see Willow still out crumpled in a corner. Her hair was turning black and her skin was very pale. "Willow," he muttered worriedly as he pulled her up. "Help me with her," he told 'Amy'.

'Amy' got Willow downstairs and Giles followed with a bunch of dolls and a Catherine's spell book. "You're going to have to help us," he said to 'Amy' as he looked to Buffy who was looking worse and Willow who was still unconscious.

"Her hair's black, Giles," Buffy said weakly.

"I know, we'll talk about it later, let's get to the school," he told her as he picked Willow up and 'Amy' helped Buffy to the car.

It took them a little while to get there. Buffy stroked Willow's hair, it felt the same but it was pitch black. That was freaky. Soon Giles was taking Willow out and 'Amy' was helping her inside.

"I didn't know, Buffy," Amy said in Catherine's voice. "I didn't know, she only said I was wasting my youth."

Mothers, did Buffy get the only normal one left? Willow jerked awake as they made it to the science lab and she threw up in a wastebasket. Giles saw it was black filth from inhaling so much of it. "Amy, lock the door," Giles said as he sat Willow up and looked at her. Her eyes were black as well. "What the hell did you do to yourself, girl?" he asked.

Willow didn't answer as he put her by Buffy. "You watch her, Amy help me with the spell."

"Will?" Buffy said very weak now.

Tears came to Willow's eyes, she hurt all over but Buffy was dying. "I'm sorry," Willow told her. "I tried but she was waiting."

Buffy grunted that it was okay. Giles poured some things together and began to chant. Willow took out her pendant and held it. She needed something good to go on now. He was halfway through when the door handle jiggled violently. Giles didn't stop but Willow felt strong enough to stand up, she held Buffy's hand. "He's doing it, Buffy," she whispered confidently for her friend. She jumped when splinters of wood shot out and the after a few more whacks the tip of an axe could be seen. Holy cow, the woman really was violent just like the newspapers said.

The door shot in and there was a really mad looking Amy. She saw 'Amy' and Giles working on the reversal spell and she turned their way. Willow stole up any courage she had and tackled her, she was crazy she knew, but this was Buffy who was dying.

Amy went down with her and they rolled on the ground. Amy saw the pendant around Willow's neck. "You try to do Wiccan casting evil or not," Amy hissed at her. "You are not Wiccan. Your pendant so powerful an item, created by lots of money." She grabbed it and screamed letting it go when it burned her hand. Willow shoved her off and Amy scrambled for the axe. They separated as Giles's finished the spell.

Amy blinked a few times and looked confused, more at the axe in her hands. Willow turned as Mrs. Madison screamed in anger and threw Giles against the wall with magic and he was knocked out. Then she turned to Willow. "Tainted with black magic, you will be a better host than my own squib of a daughter!" She looked to Amy. "You'll go to a place you truly deserve!" She reached her hand out and Willow felt a pull at her neck. She looked to see her pendant come up a little then lay back down. "Remove it! Remove it!" Catherine screamed in pain as she felt a very strong hand pinching her neck.

"Why should she?" Buffy asked now back to normal since the spell was undone.

Catherine flung her back with a wave of her hand. "Accio Buffy," Willow said and Buffy shifted course and came back at Catherine. Buffy was ready and hit Catherine hard enough to knock her to the back of the classroom. Buffy caught herself in front of Willow and smiled her way.

"You keeping something from me, Will?" she asked.

Willow shrugged a little embarrassed. "Keeping something," Catherine ground out angrily. "She's a wandless witch and you didn't even know it, Slayer. More powerful than any black spell of what you call witchcraft. But being a wizarding witch is so much more and soon I will have it again." She began to chant something and violet power built around her. Buffy pressed Willow down and as the spell came her way she pushed the teacher's table mirror down and it shot back at Catherine. The woman screamed as the spell sucked her in and then she was gone.

"You told her I was the Slayer?" Buffy asked.

Willow shrugged now feeling the pain of everything that happened to her. "Sorry."

Buffy saw the mottled bruises on Willow's arms and the pain her in eyes as Giles woke up. Amy was standing away from them scared. "What happened to my mom?" she asked.

Buffy looked to where Catherine the Great had once been. "Not something good I'd imagine," she told her as she helped Giles and Willow up.

Xander came in and grabbed Amy. "I got her! I got her!" he called out.

"Xander, she's Amy again," Buffy said.

"She is?" he said looking to Amy and how close he was to her breasts.

Amy nodded feeling very uncomfortable. "I am."

Xander let her go and looked to them. "You get your hair dyed Will? That was the big thing you left for?"

"She got caught by Amy's- mother," Giles said. "She has some dark magic to get rid off."

They went back to the library and Giles took Willow into his office. "I know you're hurting Willow. What you did was brave and stupid. But what are you thinking of trying witchcraft on your own?" Willow looked so ashamed he couldn't stay mad long. He crouched down to look her in the eye. "It's deadly a- and unworthy of a soul such as yours, Willow," he told her looking to the bruises on her neck and hands. "Did you borrow the books from me?"

Willow nodded. "A book," she got out.

"I would like it returned and there will be no more spoken of this," he said. "It was good of you to try and help Buffy but witchcraft only leads to a darker place, as you can see from Catherine Madison's doing." He sounded like he was talking about just more than that.

"I will, I'm sorry, Giles," she told him. She couldn't believe it, he didn't know the difference between her magic and this evil black magic.

He nodded and patted her shoulder and she winced at the pain she felt there. "Let's get you home."

The group left the library and headed down the hallway as the game went on, none of them saw Ms. Calendar watch them as they left.

**oooooooooooo**

Willow entered her house slowly, her whole body hurt. Buffy followed in telling Giles she was going to help her. Xander offered but the girls both firmly told him no. He might not realize at the moment that Willow was in fact a girl, but seeing her in a towel just might change that. Buffy went upstairs and found the bathroom as Willow followed as Buffy started the water going, even putting bubbles in. Willow had been silent the whole trip over and Buffy hadn't mentioned what Catherine had said. Willow came in, in a towel and Buffy made a face at the bruises on her shoulders and back. "Will, what happened?" she asked.

Willow looked to her friend and Buffy helped her into the tub. "You have to promise me, Buffy," she told her, "you can't tell anyone."

"Why?" Buffy asked. "What about Giles?"

"He thinks I'm a Wiccan type caster," she said looking up at her friend. "I- I'm not."

"What more is there?" Buffy asked as she carefully lathered Willow's hair and black came out in the lather.

Willow told her about being adopted and the pendant and the things she could do and her experience in New York. Buffy was shocked but then a grin came as she rinsed her best friend's hair. "So, a Slayer, a Witch, a Watcher and a Xander walk into a bar."

Willow smiled at this. Buffy always made everything seem like it wasn't so serious, even though it was. "Do you see why I can't tell Giles?" she asked.

Buffy nodded. "One day, Will, you're going to have to. What you can do, that's really amazing. You shouldn't have to hide it, not from friends."

"You think Xander's going to understand?" Willow said. "He wanted to cut Amy's head off."

"You're not Amy," Buffy replied. "I think he might take it better." She washed Willow's hair out again. "I'll call my mom and tell her I'm staying over here," Buffy said. Willow nodded. Buffy stopped at the door. "I won't tell," she told her redheaded friend. "But I won't let you get hurt over it either." She left and Willow slid down into the tub. She wasn't worried, she had Buffy now and that made things a lot better.

**oooooooooooo**

Sirius Black sat high up in the clouds astride the Hippogriff Buckbeak looking down over the West Coast school of Wizardry called Crystalsea. It was a beautiful place with a palace on an island hidden off the coast of America on the California/Oregon border. He had spent the last month infiltrating it as Snuffles, the black dog he could turn into. There was no girl there looking at all like the image he had from Remus's mind.

He pulled out his two way mirror and soon Remus showed up on the other end. "Any luck?" Remus asked.

"No my friend, she's not here," he replied.

"Damn," Remus said. "None of the schools have her then."

"How would she know about the Black Manticore?" Sirius asked.

Remus shrugged. "No clue. Let's spread out from there. We'll start with the wizarding cities and go from there." He was gone and Sirius put the mirror back and headed Buckbeak for Ambergate, Oregon.

**To Be Continued…**


	7. Chapter 7

"So, what do you think?" Buffy asked around her chewing gum.

Willow looked her way with a smile. "He's cute."

"Just cute?" Buffy replied looking a little surprised.

Willow smiled. "Dark, broody and handsome cute."

Buffy grinned pleased at that. "Very non talky, broody, very handsomely cute."

They were talking about Angel. The vampire with a soul that was in a roundabout way helping Buffy with vampire problems that arose in Sunnydale and Buffy was crushing on him. Willow and Xander saw him for the first time the other night at the Bronze. Xander of course hadn't been pleased, but then seeing how he didn't like anyone who liked Buffy in a sexual way that was a given. And honestly, Xander didn't hold a candle to Angel – well in anything other than Xander was actually living.

The two teenagers were on their way to school. They had gotten into the habit of going together and meeting Xander there. Buffy's grades were picking up so her mom was off her back. They went up the steps together walking through the crowd of high school students to see Xander waiting for them.

"Hey Xander," Willow said looking at him and her eyebrows went up and she looked Buffy's way.

Buffy had stopped chewing on her gum as she looked his way too. "So Xander…"

He nodded as he looked to the ground glancing up at each one then back down. "What did you do to your hair?" Willow asked. Xander looked worried and she stilled. "No, it looks really nice, I like it! It looks great!" She looked panicked at Buffy. "Doesn't he look great?"

Xander's tangled locks that had always been in disarray for as long as Willow could remember were gone, Xander had gotten his hair cut and styled. Buffy worked not to smile as she looked Willow's way and the glance between them showed that they were thinking the same thing. It looked an awful lot like Angel's hair style. His clothing looked more like they had been washed and cared for, still boy's clothing but better.

Buffy smiled and Xander brightened. "You look really great," she told him.

"Great!" he said as he hopped over to her side. "I was just thinking a change might do me good."

Willow watched the two of them as they walked toward the school then Buffy looked back at her and Willow came forward. Any feeling she had that she might have towards liking Xander in a girlfriend capacity was now gone. And she didn't feel that bad about it. She glanced over at Cordelia and her horde and saw the pants she was in and the smooth line from her hip down her leg then back to Xander. Nope, the feeling wasn't near the same.

She walked along with them towards the library thinking about things as Buffy and Xander talked. Buffy was beautiful, why didn't she think about her like she did about Cordelia? "Maybe I have masochistic tendencies," she muttered to herself. This would explain a lot, her parents had talked about things like that when they didn't think she was listening.

"What?" Buffy asked.

Willow shook her head as she followed them into the library. "Just thinking about homework."

Buffy waited for her to catch up. "What's wrong?" she asked. Willow shrugged as they made their way to the large wood table. "He loves you Will," Buffy told her.

Willow let out a little sigh. "Not like I ever thought he would," she replied looking to her friend. "He cut his hair for you."

Buffy rolled her eyes a little. "You know I don't see him that way, right?" she whispered. Xander had taken a chair and was waiting for them. Willow nodded, Buffy was totally hung on Angel and it seemed with how Buffy talked the feeling might be mutual and if that was the case… she looked to Xander who had tipped his chair back a little too far and was trying to right himself without looking stupid in front of Buffy. Xander really didn't have a chance with Buffy.

The four of them, one being Giles, had lived through Buffy's nightmare date with Owen three days ago at the funeral home, and that had been scary. Buffy had given up on him finding out that Owen was a bit much morbid. Xander thought his shot was there but Angel gave Buffy his jacket in a completely swoonable gesture of a true gentleman. Nope, not a chance in hell.

Chance in… Willow smiled at that thought as she sat down at the computer on the table and booted it up.

Giles came in reading a book and he looked up to see them there. "Ah yes, good morning," he told them as he sat down at the table with them.

"So what's the sitch?" Buffy asked as she pulled out a lipstick from her pack.

"Nothing at the moment," Giles told her as he took off his glasses. "Patrol, training…"

"No upcoming doom, impending peril?" Buffy asked looking pleased.

"No, no, not that I'm aware of," Giles replied, "that doesn't mean to stop watching-."

"For upcoming doom and impending peril," Xander replied. "Maybe we could Bronze it tonight then."

Buffy smiled at the thought of seeing Angel again. Xander leaned over into Willow's range his face almost next to hers as he looked at the screen then at her when she said nothing. "What'd ya say Will?" he asked. "Bronze, drinks?" he waggled his eyebrows at her and she finally smiled.

"Maybe, Ms. Calendar wanted me to help her with a project after school," she told him. "And my parents are home."

Buffy sat up at that. "Really, they're home?"

Giles looked to them confused as he was cleaning his glasses. "This is odd?"

"They're like non there parents, Giles," Buffy said giving him a look.

Giles frowned a little at that remembering that Buffy had mentioned it a few times. "Should I talk with them, Willow?"

"No!" Willow said loudly then went pale as she hunched over the keyboard. "No, I think someone already did."

They all looked her way. "What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

Willow shrugged. "One day they're going to be gone for three weeks on a seminar and the next they're home acting like a happy family. A couple of people I've never met before came over and talked with them, but I didn't get to hear what they were saying."

She did actually, casting a listening spell. They were with Social Services, someone had called up telling them that their fourteen year old daughter was living in the house on her own for weeks on end. They didn't say who it was, but there were only a handful of people that even knew. Buffy's mom was one.

What was harder was that she loved her parents but she didn't feel connected to them anymore. They had been traveling for so long Willow almost felt like the house was hers. People came and trimmed the lawn and that, but she kept everything going on the inside and her parents came to visit. Willow felt more family like towards Buffy and her mom than her own parents, how sad was that?

The door to the library opened and they looked to see it was Amy Madison. She smiled at them and came in a little ways. "Hi," she said happily. She was a free woman with a new lot on life, her mother was missing, her father was doting on her, she couldn't be happier. "Um, I was wondering if I could talk to you Willow?" she asked.

Willow nodded. "O-okay." She stood and got her backpack. "See you guys in second period."

She followed Amy out and they walked slowly along the hallway. "Listen," Amy told her as she watched the crowds. "I never said thanks for helping out. That was cool what you did confronting my mom."

Willow shook her head. "Don't-," she started but Amy interrupted.

"I was wondering," Amy said looking her way. "You did spells in there, in that room."

Willow stopped walking and Amy watched her. "I- Amy, do you know who your mom is?" she asked.

Amy nodded still watching her intently. "I found the stuff in there, the newspapers. I'd never seen anything like that before. She said you had it, what she had. What is it?"

Willow wrapped her arms about herself and looked her way. She saw Buffy and Xander pass her looking her way curiously. "Maybe we could meet and talk about it."

Amy smiled at this. "That would be great!" she told her enthusiastically. "When?"

Willow thought about it. Couldn't go to her home… "The park, around five?"

Amy nodded at this. "I'll be there, thanks, Willow." She headed down the hallway and Willow leaned back against the lockers there. Great, great, great, she berated herself. She hurried when the bell for first class rang.

**oooooooooooo**

Willow stared at her computer screen not really seeing anything for a few minutes. It was four thirty and she couldn't get meeting Amy out of her mind. Ms. Calendar came to rest against the desk watching her. "You okay?" she asked her student.

Willow looked up at her and blushed as she focused on her monitor again. "I'm okay."

Ms. Calendar nodded a little but still watched her. "How's the project coming?"

Willow smiled at her. "Almost done."

"Why don't you finish it in class tomorrow?" she told her. "I'm sure you'd rather hang out with your friends than here with me, Dave and Fritz." Her other two budding geniuses, Willow looked worried at that but Ms. Calendar leaned over and whispered. "If I can get you to leave, I can get them to leave and then I can go home and take a long bath, weekend coming up and all that." Willow looked embarrassed but nodded as Ms. Calendar smiled at her. The teacher loved to tease; she wasn't like most other teachers at Sunnydale.

"I'm sorry," Willow said turning off her machine.

"Hey, don't worry," Ms. Calendar told her as she stood up. "Dave, Fritz, you boys head on home too."

Dave did as she asked but Fritz looked like he really didn't want to leave. Finally after a look from his teacher he began to shut his computer down as well.

Willow bent over to get a book that had fallen from her pack and tucked everything in and stood to see Ms. Calendar waiting for her. She blushed a little as she came to the door; Dave and Fritz were already gone. Ms. Calendar was pretty for a teacher, she wasn't that old, not Giles old.

"I'll walk you out," Ms. Calendar said as she shut off the lights and they went into the hallway. All the lights were off, everyone had gone home. They went outside and Ms. Calendar smiled her way and looked down. "That's a beautiful pendant, can I look at it?" she asked.

Willow looked to see that her pendant had slipped out of her shirt when she was reaching for her book. She nodded and her teacher gently lifted it up and looked at it. "That's amazing detail, a beautiful piece, a willow even." She rubbed her fingers over it a few times then laid it back down onto Willow's shirt and Willow tucked it back in so it rested against her skin where it felt safe. "Do you want a ride home?" Ms. Calendar asked nodding to the only car left in the teacher's parking lot.

Willow shook her head. "I'm meeting a friend at the park in a little while."

Ms. Calendar nodded as she took out her keys. "Well, get home before dark then, you never know what's out there," she told her as she headed for her car with a wave.

Willow nodded and gave her a small one back. Crap, is it dark headed women or what? She hiked her pack up on her shoulder and headed for the park. "I'll have Buffy kill me if I get a crush on my teacher," she muttered to herself. Who could forget Xander's escapades with Ms. French the freaky praying mantis science teacher substitute? She smiled at that. She and Buffy didn't let him forget, not for a few more months anyway.

She found herself in a pretty park; it had trees and benches, even a fountain. There were a few people out walking dogs and sitting on the grass and talking. She saw Amy was already there pacing around. Amy came her way when she saw her. They sat down in an area where they could watch to see if someone was coming.

"Tell me," Amy demanded.

Willow sighed. "I-I don't know what to tell. I found a spell book and found I could do them. I don't know how, or even where, I'm surprised your mom was one. I mean, even though she was an evil one which was sorta really scary," she stopped and shut up before she babbled even more.

Amy digested that for a moment. "I found some stuff of hers. But I couldn't do any of it. She needed a wand; she talked about it all the time."

Willow shrugged. "I never needed one." Amy opened her mouth but Willow shook her head. "I don't know why."

"Show me, please," Amy asked.

Willow looked around then saw a stick on the ground about twenty feet from them. "Accio stick," she said holding out her hand. It came to her easily and she grasped it then set it down.

"Ack-key-oh?" Amy repeated.

"Ah-chee-oh," Willow corrected. "That and what you want. Do something close and easy."

Amy held out her hand and looked to a smaller stick on the ground about three feet from her. "Accio stick," she said. Nothing happened. She tried a few more times then looked to Willow.

Willow shrugged. "It's like you can feel it running through you, or at least I can."

Amy tried it a few more times but nothing happened. "I don't feel it." Willow chewed on her lower lip a little not knowing what to tell her. Amy sighed and got up. "Thanks anyway Willow," she said with a little smile. "See ya."

Willow watched her go, she was glad there wasn't any argument about it. How was she supposed to teach her? It wasn't like she knew what she was doing half the time anyway. Now she was glad she wouldn't have to give back those spell books of her mom's. Catherine Madison alias of Morgana Burgeis was a sick woman, she had notations in the books she had of people who were mudbloods, whatever that meant, and certain things she had done to others with the help of her sick friends. Apparently the ones in this Karavak place. She got up and hurried home, her parents were probably going to have dinner and that she didn't want to miss out on.

She made it home to see the man and woman from before leaving her house. "Miss Rosenberg, Willow?" the woman said.

Willow slowed down to stop by them. "Yes?"

She held out her hand. "I'm Ms. Coltrane and this is Mr. Weiss, we're with Social Services."

Willow took her hand slowly and glanced up to see that her mother was looking out the front window curtains. "Okay."

"You're late coming home from school today," the agent told her as she opened a planner she had in her bag.

"Extra credit work in computer science," she told them feeling a little faint. What were they going to do?

The agent nodded again as the other one rested against the car. "You are an excellent student." She smiled her way as she handed her a business card. "I'd like you to call me anytime if you have a problem. Can you do that for me Willow?" she asked.

Willow looked to the card in her fingers like it was something foreign. Anna Coltrane, Social Services, with a phone number listed. "O-okay," she stuttered out a little. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked nervously.

They both smiled at this. "Hardly," Mr. Weiss told her. "We'll come and check up on you next week."

Willow watched them get into their car and leave as she headed through the gate to her house. Sheila Rosenberg was there waiting for her. Sheila looked worried but let everything go in silence. Dinner wasn't as nice as she thought it would be.

**oooooooooooo**

Music poured through the speakers into the dim club surrounding dancers on the floor, people at the tables and by the bar and up the stairs watching over what was going on below. It rested on two sets of eyes, one that was watching the dance floor with intense anger and the other that was watching between them and the couple on the floor.

Willow glanced back at Xander who was brooding over Buffy and Angel who were talking on the dance floor and dancing a little but they were both spellbound in each other. Xander was shredding up his napkin now in little fits of outrage. "I don't understand what she sees in him," he muttered. "He's dead, he's a vampire and well, dead!" He looked to her for understanding and she nodded.

"Very dead," she replied.

He nodded in agreement with this. "And why should she be falling for a vampire in the first place? Isn't that her job, to kill them? And now it's all 'oh Angel's so hot'," he said mimicking a high voice. Willow smiled a little at that but put on a frown when he looked her way. "Deadboy's gotta go."

Willow really frowned at this. "I- that's not a good idea, Xander. He's really helping and- and Buffy knows what to do. He seems nice."

Xander frowned at her. "That's not helping Will," he told her. "I'm going to get another drink." He stood up and ran right into Cordelia.

"Clumsy much Loser!" she demanded wiping some of her drink off of her dress that he knocked into her.

"Oh shut up, Dorky," he said and stormed to the bar.

Cordelia's eyes became slits as she glared at his back. "Oh, he did not just say that," she growled and went after him.

Willow didn't hear what they were arguing about but Xander stood up for himself for a few minutes then whatever Cordelia said must have been blistering because the crowd around her laughed and Xander looked ashen faced and headed back her way with his drink. Willow felt sad that Xander had to take the brunt of Cordelia then, but in a way she thought he deserved it for being a – well a dork. She watched Cordelia who primped herself then Willow drew her eyes back to the table. Xander sat down as Buffy came up to them.

"Where's Angel?" Willow asked. She knew about the vampire but had yet to actually meet him.

"He had to go," Buffy told her with a happy grin. They looked to Xander who was still angry. "What's up with grumpy there?"

"Cordelia," Willow told her and Buffy nodded understanding.

"Let's book," Buffy told them. "I need to patrol anyway."

**oooooooooooo**

The three of them walked together along the sidewalk towards the cemetery. They were getting use to coming with her on her patrols. Willow was listening to her friends talk about school and anything new that was going on in the life of Sunnydale's students. She thought about the Social Services agents, Amy, and where was she going to practice her magic if her parents were going to be home now.

The last question was answered first. She saw an old rundown house that was secluded by overgrown shrubs. There wasn't a for sale sign out front. No one wanted it. She could try that out, ward it from vampires, even go during daylight hours and see what it was like.

"What's going on with study gal?" Buffy asked her way.

Willow came back to their conversation. "Nothing,… I mean, the same."

"Your parents still home?" Xander asked. "I feel like I've been kicked out of my second, more real home."

Willow smiled at that. The two spent a lot of time at her house when his parents were on a drinking binge and became abusive. "You can always come over," she told him. "It's not like they'd notice even if they're there."

Buffy shook her head at that. "My mom would notice if one thing was out of place let alone other people in the house."

"Maybe Buffy's house is the most real of all real houses, Will," Xander said.

Willow laughed at that, Buffy smiled. "Me casa, is your casa," Buffy told them. "Just let me run it by my mom first."

Willow smiled as they continued their walk. Buffy dusted two vampires and Xander tried to help out by hitting one and danced around shaking his hand from the pain. Buffy showed him what he did wrong and the rest of the trip home was quiet. Xander's home was first and Buffy walked Willow the rest of the way. "What happened with Amy?" Buffy asked.

Willow shrugged. "She wanted to know about magic, my kind."

Buffy gave her a look. "Can she do your kind?"

Willow shrugged again. "Her mom talked about needing a wand, which I don't have and she didn't so it didn't work for her."

"Think she'll try to find a wand?" Buffy asked as they came upon Willow's house.

Willow shrugged once more. "I don't know how she would, she knows less than I do which is pretty much nothin'."

Buffy smiled her way. "You want to come over tomorrow night? We can watch some movies. Have popcorn."

Willow grinned and nodded. She loved hanging out with Buffy. She always dug through her closets filled with cool items from L.A. and they talked girly talk which Willow found she was pretty good at.

**oooooooooooo**

Harry breathed in cool air as he rested on the platform after the second Triwizard's task. Ron was next to him as they had blankets put around them and Fleur was kissing Harry's cheeks thanking him repeatedly for saving her sister Gabrielle.

The adults were talking and Karkaroff didn't look happy. Harry glanced over to see Viktor in a blanket and Hermione in one as well talking to him. He had changed the student's view of Hermione over the last few months since the Yule Ball. Her hair was tamed a little more and she took more time to care how she dressed. Someone had her affections and she had theirs in return. Viktor Krum, who would have guessed it?

He looked to the crowds who were waving. There were the twins and next them another set of chosen twins, Ginny and Tara. They were never far apart from each other when it was possible. He looked over to see Cho Chang watching them and he smiled, even though she had gone to the ball with Cedric he still liked her and they had taken a walk along the paths around the lake.

The winners were announced and Harry found himself in a tie with Cedric for first place. Hopefully the next challenge wouldn't be so hard.

**To Be Continued…**


	8. Chapter 8

Amy Madison walked along the back streets of Sunnydale looking at the dirty alleyways she was forced to navigate through with a bit of distaste then looked back a something written on a piece of paper. She stilled when someone just appeared out of nowhere looking like they were lost then they curled up next to the wall across the way shivering. She looked back to the wall he had just come out of and looked to her notes once more. She stepped up to the wall and reached out to touch it. Her hand went through and her body followed.

She staggered out into a dirty, unkempt living room with a bunch of couches around it and everyone looked like they had a drug problem. "Um," she said as she looked to the note again. All it said was. _'Power is the key. Rack in the disappearing doorway, he will give it to you, for a price.'_ It was in her mother's handwriting.

The only door in the room opened and there stood one of the biggest, scariest men she had ever seen. His face weathered with a few scars on it and his eyes were freaky. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. A woman stumbled out from behind him and passed out on a couch.

"You," he said looking at her, and a little through her. Amy looked behind her and he laughed, it wasn't a nice laugh. "Yes, you, I feel her on you. You are the daughter."

"I'm Amy, yeah," she got out.

He opened the doorway a little wider and ushered her in. She followed and he closed it behind her as he stroked her hair possessively.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy hummed to herself walking along the sidewalk on patrol. She had a mocha and her trusty nail polish in her pocket. She figured if there was no one out to be slain she could do a little manicure to pass the time. It had barely turned nighttime, about eight or so when she saw a familiar redhead about three blocks ahead of her walking quickly. Not that Buffy could blame her; this wasn't the best area of town to be in, which made her wonder why the shy girl was out and about. Willow wasn't a fighter, she willingly admitted it too. Not that she wasn't without courage; Willow was tough in other ways.

She followed her and noted that Willow carried a bottle of holy water in her hands. That alone would get her in trouble with her Jewish parents. She saw Willow stop a few times and look around nervously watching for anything that might go bump in the night. Buffy began to jog forward to talk to her friend and see why she was out. She could have called and Buffy would have walked with her.

Willow looked around once more then ducked under a chain that held an old chain link fence together then she disappeared from view into the dark. Buffy ran for the fence. She saw down an overgrown path and an abandoned house she had checked out for vampires a month or so ago. She followed her, now very curious as to what her friend was up to.

Buffy crept up to see Willow had made it inside to the old dining room and there were lights from somewhere. She didn't sense anything bad and it felt like Willow had put up some kind of spell to warn her if someone was too close. The Slayer reached out her hand and felt the magic just next to it, she didn't touch it, she didn't want Willow to be alarmed. She also didn't want anyone to hurt her so she stayed to watch over her. Willow said something and out of thin air appeared a small stack of books. Buffy blinked in surprise at this. "Okay, that was cool," she said softly.

Willow began to read through one book and set a few things out. A match, a-, Buffy had to tilted her head a little to see what it was, it looked like a beetle, wow, Buffy looked to her redheaded friend again. She must be serious if she's touching bugs. Buffy smiled at that remembering when Willow had a spider in her locker and she had a little fit over it until Buffy killed it then she made Buffy go wash her hands.

Buffy smiled at the memory as she sat down Indian style and watched her friend read through her book and then begin to cast spells. The match disappeared and Willow reached down and picked something up carefully. If it hadn't of been for Buffy's excellent eyesight she would have missed seeing the needle between Willow's fingers. She smiled though; it had the head of a match on the top of it.

Willow worked for about an hour, most of the stuff she did worked. One time Buffy was worried when she set the table on fire and Willow panicked for a minute until she did a spell that shot water out of thin air and put it out. Willow rested for a while then made her books disappear and Buffy hid as Willow dropped the spell around the house and warily left. At least she was cautious. Buffy followed her home, she was proud of Willow for keeping up with her skills but where she was doing it wasn't the safest place. She'd talk to her about letting her go with her to watch her back at school tomorrow.

Buffy was starting to think that maybe she'd be the first Slayer to make it past twenty.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy rushed up to school five minutes before it started. She had planned to talk to Willow this morning about last night, but the day had just started out wrong and then she and her mom got in an argument and that was not something she wanted was angry mom on her back.

She went down the hallway and found Willow and Xander at Willow's locker and Xander was talking about something that was exciting and Willow rolled her eyes where he couldn't see it but she could. Buffy smiled as she came up to them. "Hey guys," she told them. Xander grinned her way.

"Hey Buff," he said.

"Buff?" she replied. She hated that nickname.

"Buff, Buffster," he started.

She held up her hand. "Be careful where you go with that," she warned him. "I can hurt you, badly."

"Hey Buffy," Willow said with a smile.

"Hey Will," Buffy replied as they headed down the hallway. "Mom and I got into a thing," she said apologizing for not being ready to walk to school together.

Willow shook her head. "Oh, don't worry about that. My mom is into that now. I think she's getting cranky being home all the time."

"Social services still coming?" Xander asked.

Willow shrugged. "Once so far." She looked his way, social services had gone to his house a few years ago, but they just squeaked by on being 'okay' parents, they were always home. Apparently being a drunk and abusive parent wasn't as bad as being an absent one.

"Hey, we get out of classes altogether next Monday," Xander said. "That's good, right?"

"What's Monday?" Buffy asked.

"The zoo field trip," Willow told her as they stopped, letting the Cordelia horde go past them, the brunette gave them a scathing look but said nothing she went by.

"Then Cordelia can go back to her home of buttmanian devils," Xander told his friends and a little louder for others to hear and Cordelia stopped and looked at them.

"Watch it monkey boy," she retorted. "Your whole family belongs there seeing where your mom works. I'm sure the zoo will want you all back in the white trash exhibit."

The group and others around laughed. Buffy looked put out, Willow looked embarrassed and Xander was just a little mad. "Yeah, well I have King Kong in my family tree then! What do you got?" he said but they were gone.

Willow bit on her lower lip a little. "King Kong was a gorilla, Xander."

"That's not a monkey?" Buffy asked as they continued on to class.

"Not technically no," Willow replied as the first bell rang.

Buffy and Xander headed off together while Willow went to her physics class. Buffy'd have to catch her at lunch.

**oooooooooo**

Later that morning Willow headed for her computer class when Amy came up to walk by her. "Hi Amy," Willow said.

"Hey," Amy replied.

Willow looked to her, she was a little heavier than before but it didn't look bad on her, she looked healthier, except now she looked pale. "How's it going?" she decided to ask.

Amy nodded. "Good."

Willow turned a corner and Amy went with her. Okay… "Sorry that, um, thing didn't work out," Willow told her.

Amy nodded again. "It's okay." She looked her way finally and her eyes were really bloodshot. "It's why I was looking for you," Amy said.

"For me?" Willow asked as she stopped in front of the computer classroom.

"I found some things in my mom's stuff, Dad's selling the house for me seeing that Mom's gone and the state decided to award him custody. There's some witch stuff that I think you'd want to see maybe you could use it seeing I can't," Amy told her quietly.

Willow looked to the student who passed them, some going into the classroom. "Okay, after school?" she asked.

"After dinner if you could," Amy said. "Dad's got the whole family thing going."

Willow smiled until she saw Amy wasn't smiling with her, she looked irritated about it. "Seven?" Willow asked.

Amy nodded at that. "Come to 9th and State street."

Willow thought about it. "That's not a really good part of town."

"Storage, my dad just moved it all," Amy told her.

"Okay, I'll see you then," Willow replied.

"Great," Amy said with the first true smile she'd seen yet on the blond. She left and Willow turned to go into her classroom but stopped almost bumping into Ms. Calendar.

"Sorry," Willow said.

Ms. Calendar smiled. "It's okay; I thought you were going to be late. Let's get started." Willow passed her and Ms. Calendar watched Amy disappear around the corner.

**oooooooooo**

Willow headed along main street. It was almost seven and she was a little worried. Buffy had ended up talking to Giles about something all through lunch and then had to go to her mom's gallery after school because she was still in trouble with her. Ms. Coltrane had come by that afternoon to find both of her parents were working but still in town. Then dinner had been tense and honestly, Willow wanted her parents to go away again, she liked it better when they were gone.

She turned down 9th street and headed for State street. She spotted Amy who was waiting in an alleyway. Willow looked around; there were no storage units in this area. She walked towards her a little slower. She didn't like this, she didn't like this area. It made the magic in her feel bad. She crossed the street but stood just outside the alleyway.

"What's going on Amy?" she asked.

A man stepped out of the shadows and Willow's eyes went wide. He was tall and lean, with a bit of a pock-marked face. He didn't look kind, which was clear to Willow since blackness just radiated off of him. "Rosenberg, Willow," he said looking her over. "You're no Jewish Princess; you gotta know that, right?"

Willow saw Amy watch them; the blond girl's face was flushed but excited, like this was a good thing happening.

"She told me you had power," he said as he came closer. "A wandless wizarding witch, but you have power." Willow stepped back from him and he stopped. "You afraid of me little girl?" he asked. "I only want a taste of what you got. All I get is hopped up black magic users who want another taste of real power or those like Amy who've got a little but nothin' to do with it." Amy looked embarrassed but her eyes were drawn to him.

"What did you do to her?" Willow asked bravely making sure she stayed a good ten feet from him.

"Gave her a taste," he said with a laugh. "I think she liked it, don't you?" he asked.

Willow was stunned before but now she realized what he was. She backed off completely. "That's- that's bad, very, very bad!"

He laughed as Amy came forward passing him to her. "Willow, it's so wonderful, you'll love it," she told her grabbing onto Willow's arm.

Willow fought to get her arm off of her. Amy's eyes were misty black and her face was sweating and pale. "No, Amy! You don't want to turn into your mom!"

The man spoke a few words as he came forward and sent a bolt of black magic at her. Willow put up her free hand. "Protego!" she said. It hit a shield around her.

"Very good," the man said as he strode forward and caught her hair as Amy held onto her arm. "Just a taste." He held her hair and she felt that darkness go into her and some of her light leave. The ends of her hair shifted to black.

"Expelliarmus!" she got out and both of them flew back hitting the wall.

He laughed as he got up, but Amy groaned in pain on the ground. "Strawberries, you taste like strawberries." He faced her down as he caught a trickle of blood from his cheek where a chip of brick had hit him. "Delicious, you are going to be my favorite."

"Stupefy," she said and light flashed from her hand, Rack was caught a little by it but shook it off.

"You'll have to do better than that Strawberry," he told her as he sent more magic at her.

"Expelliarmus!" she said stopping it but it warped around her a little and her hair turned a little darker. "Petrificus totalus!" she got out angrily.

His legs and arms snapped together and he dropped over into the trash on the ground like a block. Willow felt tears come to her eyes, her hands were shaking and she was scared. Amy was up crawling by then looking to Rack then at Willow. Willow sprinted away from them silent tears running down her cheeks.

Willow didn't watch where she was going as she past the building she had walked by first and ran into a ballpark. Ms. Calendar stepped out of the shadows to watch her go. She glanced back to see Amy kneeling over Rack looking lost and scared. The man wasn't moving. She looked them both over then left following Willow's wake.

**oooooooooo**

The knock at the door was insistent as Joyce came from the living room to open the door to see Willow there with tears running down her cheeks and her hair wasn't its beautiful shade of auburn, it was blackish looking. "Willow!" she said taking her arm she saw bruising there from Amy. She drew her in and shut the door. "What's wrong?"

Willow shook her head as she wiped her eyes. "I kno-know she's in trouble, b-but c-could I see Buffy?" she stuttered out.

"Of course. Buffy come down here please!" she called out.

"I swear, mom, I didn't do anything else," Buffy said as she came to the top of the steps to see Willow in her mom's arms crying. She hurried down the steps. "Will, what's wrong?"

Willow looked to her as she wiped her eyes again and Buffy saw the black in her hair. "I – I," was all she got out and Buffy wrapped her arms about her friend and Joyce motioned it was okay for her to take her upstairs.

Buffy nearly carried her there the redhead was almost to scared to move. She set Willow down on the end of her bed and sat down by her. Willow told her what happened to her in fits and starts of panic. Buffy saw her hands were trembling. There was a knock on the door and Joyce came in with two mugs of cocoa. "Oh honey, you're going into shock," she told her as she took a blanket out and put it around her. "What happened? Was it your parents?"

Willow shook her head. "A girl at school," Buffy told her mom as she handed her best friend some of her mom's cocoa. "She wanted to meet her after school but she didn't tell her about her drug dealer boyfriend."

Joyce looked horrified, her over alert maternal mind going into protect mode as she thought about what could have happened to Willow. "You drink your cocoa and I'll call your mother."

Willow shook her head. "She's working, she-she," she stopping talking and just looked to her cocoa and two tears spilt into it. "Could I stay here?" she asked timidly.

Joyce nodded. "Sure you can. You can stay in here with Buffy, how's that?"

Willow gave her a teary smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Summers."

Joyce smiled at that. "I'll call your mother and tell her you're staying over." She left and Willow looked to Buffy.

"I'm sorry," she told her.

Buffy shook her head. "Don't be. I'm going to kill Amy when I find her," she said angrily.

"Killing's not worth it," Willow told her.

"Then I'll stick her wherever her mom is," Buffy said as she turned her attention to her scared friend.

Joyce made a phone call downstairs out of the girls hearing. She couldn't believe what parenting went for nowadays. "Yes, this is Mrs. Joyce Summers," she told the person on the other end of the line. "I'd like to speak to Agent Coltrane."

**oooooooooo**

Willow was so angry she could have spit nails, if she wanted to do something like that. She stormed down the street for her abandoned house. She needed to get away, to do magic, something that she knew she was good at.

They had gone to the Zoo the day before and Xander had come out of the hyena house – wrong. It was the only word she could think of for it. He had become mean and cruel, especially to her. He had essentially told her he didn't want to see her pasty face anymore, and then he and Kyle's evil group of bullies laughed about it. Buffy had talked to her trying to soothe the pain but it still hurt. Willow sighed to herself as she ducked through the chain link fence. At least she didn't have a crush on him anymore, that would have been worse.

It didn't help either what had happened with Amy. She hadn't come back to school and Agent Coltrane had showed up at her house again the next day. She sat down with Willow and her parents and talked about drugs and abuse and Willow though she was going to die it was so embarrassing, worse the agent shamed her parents who were both psychologists about not talking with her. It didn't seem to faze them much, they had gone back to work the next day, she was pretty sure they were gearing up to go to a seminar for a week. How they were going to get around Agent Coltrane on that one she didn't know.

She went into the house and headed for the living room area of the dilapidated house. It was the largest room and the best place to practice. She looked around before she lit the place up and just sat down in a dark corner on an old sofa cushion and took in everything that was going on and felt sad. Xander had always been there for her. Buffy was more it now, not that she didn't love Xander, but he focused so much on Buffy it really did hurt.

"Hey," a voice said in the dark. "When did dinner start coming to us?"

"Lumos," Willow said softly and there were over a dozen vampires spilling in the room with her through the windows, a few had started her way only to be blinding by the light. She screamed and let the spell go as she scrambled up. "Protego!" she got out as she ducked out of the way of an arm that didn't even touch her, it seemed to scrape off of a shield.

"Magic user!" one said. "She's a magic user!"

It was like a mad dash for her. Willow felt a few hands get past her shield as she struggled to reach the doorway. There were a few grunts behind her and something hit the wall as a hand caught her ankle. "Reducto!" she cried out and the vampire screamed as it was dusted.

"Watch where you're aiming, Will!" Buffy said in the darkness as more vampires fought.

"Buffy?" Willow got out as one vampire hit her hard and she was slammed back into one of the crumbling walls. Her chest stung as she sat up.

"A little light couldn't hurt though," Buffy told her from the darkness. There were dark figures all over the place.

Willow thought of light and a blue flame appeared in her hand as she stayed against the wall, her head hurt really bad. She watched as Buffy fought with a large male vampire, she did a double front kick snapping his head back hard crashing him into the wall. Then she flipped over to ram a stake into another male vampire running up behind her. Buffy spun around in a high wheel kick and took the first vampire out against a broken table leg. Coming down she did a high snap kick to one male vampire then whirled into a roundhouse kick at a female one flipping it over onto the floor. It scrambled up and took off with the three others that were left. Buffy came over to look at her.

"Bad week?" Buffy asked looking at the back of Willow's head and came out with blood on her fingers. "This looks bad."

"Not the hospital," Willow whispered. "Agent Coltrane will come."

"Giles can help," Buffy said. "We – you need to tell him. You can't do this anymore, not here."

Buffy helped Willow along the street and Willow just leaned against her as they slowly made their way to Giles's apartment.

"How did you- know?" Willow asked.

"I saw you the other night and followed you, that's what I wanted to talk to you about last week," Buffy said.

Willow looked to the small courtyard at Giles's place; she'd never been there before. Buffy knocked taking a few moments before knocking again.

"Coming, I'm coming," they could hear Giles say. He opened the door and saw the two of them. "What's happened?" he asked as he hurried them inside.

"You know, girls out having fun on the town," Buffy said putting Willow down on the couch. "A little magic, a little vampire dusting and then someone gets hurt and not so much the fun time anymore."

Giles gave Buffy a look of annoyance and sat down on the coffee table to look at Willow. "Willow?" he asked as he took the dishtowel he had taken from his kitchen and pressed it to the back of her head and saw the blood.

Tears came, mostly from the pain but part of it from just everything. "I'm a bad person Giles," she told him.

"You are not Will," Buffy said sitting down by her.

Willow nodded wincing from moving her head. "I can do magic," she admitted to the librarian. "Not evil black wiccan kinds but wizarding – I'm a witch."

Giles looked to her a little confused at what that meant then to Buffy who nodded and told him what had happened last Friday with Amy and the scary guy. "Wills doesn't do that, Giles. She's a good witch, our witch."

"I don't particularly like you doing magic, Willow. Power corrupts, this will corrupt you," he said looking to the bowed head of a scared young woman. "Let me look at your head." He did and he nodded. "It's a light flesh wound, it will be okay, they have a tendency to bleed profusely, ice should help it."

Giles looked to his two young charges as he got some ice, aspirin and some water, Buffy by council command, Willow by her association with Buffy and his friendship with the young woman. He came back with the items and Willow took a few aspirin and then held the ice to her head and laid gingerly back on it before he spoke. "I know you wish to continue your- hobby, Willow. But it might be in your best interest if you did not," he told her honestly.

Buffy gave him a look. "Have you seen her do this stuff Giles? She's really good." She stopped. "Other than the whole Amy and vampire thing which wasn't her fault, but she's good."

Giles stood up and looked to them both taking his glasses off. "I'm sure she is, but as I stated before. Power corrupts and magic is immense power –."

"There are others who can do it," Willow told him. "Amy's mom was one, but she lost her wand, so she turned to black magic."

"What?" Giles asked looking confused. "A-a wand you say?"

"Freaky isn't it?" Buffy said. "Whole bunch of them and they all use wands."

"What?" Giles stated again not understand. "What bunch of them?"

Willow looked his way; he didn't know what she was talking about. "A couple of years ago, I found a place in New York that was all witches – well men and women witches, they called it the wizarding world. No one else could see it and they didn't seem evil," she told him. Buffy nodded with her meaning she was totally on Willow's side.

Giles watched them for a long minute. Neither of them looked like it was a joke. How did he get stuck having to defend his wisdom over the whims of two teenage girls? He took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Dear god," he muttered.

**oooooooooo**

Willow sat in the school library looking at a hyena video. Xander was to the side in the cage the library had pacing around and looking angry. They had found out why he was being so mean. Apparently she had taken the job of watching over her hyena possessed friend while Buffy and Giles tried to figure out how to get him back to normal. She also learned that he and the pack had eaten a pig, whole and raw, gross. And that the others, not Xander, had eaten Principal Flutie. Double gross.

Giles had spent the night before quizzing her about what she could do, even berating her a little over stealing spell books from Catherine Madison, though Buffy felt she was justified seeing how evil the woman really was and that she was going to switch with Willow's body if they hadn't of stopped her. Then he let it go telling her that he still didn't like the idea of her casting but what was he going to do about it? He couldn't stop her. Just warn her.

"Willow," Xander the hyena boy called out.

"I'm not listening," she told him. He probably just wanted to be mean to her again.

"Wiillllooww," a voice drawled out.

"Shut up Xander!" Willow said looking back at him to see him glaring at her.

"Wiiilllloooww," the voice said again. It wasn't Xander.

Willow stood up and looked around the large room as Xander watched the windows. Willow slowly looked to see Kyle and one of the girls looking back through them with scary grins on their faces. She screamed as they kicked in the windows and climbed in. The other two of their pack following them in, Xander began to pound on the cage door laughing that horrible hyena laugh and the others joined in.

"Incarcerous!" Willow said pointing to Kyle. Ropes formed and bound him together. The girls went to him as the other boy continued to advance on her. "Levicorpus!" she said pointing at him. He was flung up into the air upside down and he clawed at his pants to get free growling as Xander began to fling himself at the door of the cage. None of them were happy now.

Willow backed up towards the door as it opened. She screamed jumping around to face whatever else was coming. It was Buffy and Giles. All of them looked Buffy's way. "That's not good," Buffy said and Giles hustled both of them out of the door and down the hallway to regroup.

"They're going to keep coming," Giles said. "They will want to feed."

"On the weak right?" Willow said making a face, she was weak and they all knew it.

"You showed them, right?" Buffy told her. "Stopped them."

"We're going to need to get them back to the zoo to undo all of this," Giles said.

"And before their next meal. So that would be me," Buffy replied.

"Individually they are as strong as you," Giles said.

"Together-," Willow started looking at her friend and the danger she was truly in.

"I won't let that happen," Buffy told her. They heard the metal of the cage squeal as it was bent. "They're stupider though, you two go to the zoo, I'll get them there."

**oooooooooo**

Willow paced nervously outside the path to the hyena pens at the zoo. Giles had gone in to talk to the zookeeper while she was the early warning system. She stilled when she heard it, that laugh, a laugh that would haunt her dreams. She ducked under the tape and ran for the hyena house. She came in to see a magic circle drawn on the floor and she could hear the hyena's in the pit below.

"Giles?" she called out. He wasn't there. "They're almost here. Giles?" She saw the zookeeper, he was wearing some weird robe and had face paint on. "Are the hyena's ready?" she asked.

He nodded. "They are. In the feeding area." Willow went to look but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "They haven't been fed in a while."

"Where's Giles? They're coming," she told him.

"He's… laying in wait," the zookeeper told her as he brought out a piece of rope.

She looked from him to the doorway. "They're almost here. Shouldn't you bring the hyenas out?"

He came over to her and held her wrists up and put the rope around them. "When the time is right. I'm gonna need your help." He tied her wrists together.

"They're right behind me," Buffy yelled out from the pathway.

"There's Buffy!" Willow said looking to the zookeeper. "Get ready!" The zookeeper put her in front of him and drew out a big bowie knife and held it to her throat, her eyes going wide at that. "What's this?" she asked.

"A predatory act, remember?" he told her.

"Uh right," she got out her eyes not leaving the big knife so close to her throat. "You'll pretend to slash my throat and- and put the evil in the hyenas."

"Something like that," he said putting it a little closer.

Willow felt ill and stupid as everything connected in her mind. Buffy ran in a little winded from the chase they had led her on. "Buffy, it's a trap!" she called to her friend.

Xander ran through and jumped Buffy hauling them both to the ground inside the drawn circle. The other four of the pack ran in and the fight began.

"Yu ba ya sa na!" the zookeeper called out.

The five in the pack looked his way and their eyes flashed green then the zookeeper's eyes flashed the same green. He growled as he dropped the knife and grabbed Willow's head and yanked it to the side his teeth going for her neck. She cried out in pain, her head tender from the other night and now this.

"Willow!" Xander called out.

Willow went down in a tumble with the zookeeper and Xander. Willow watched as the zookeeper and Xander got up but the zookeeper hit Xander hard making the young man fall onto his butt. The pack had gotten off of Buffy and the Slayer fought off the zookeeper's charge at her seeing her as the enemy. She knocked him down, he got up again as Xander came over to Willow. Buffy knocked the zookeeper down again. Willow saw Kyle and his group quietly scramble out of the hyena house looking terrified.

The zookeeper growled at Buffy once again and she got under him this time and hoisted him up and into the hyena pit. There were howls as hands held onto the edge of the pit trying to get out. They were yanked off and Willow shivered at the sound of flesh and bones tearing up what was the zookeeper for dinner. Xander untied her wrists as Buffy sat down next to them exhausted.

Giles came out clutching the back of his head. "Did I miss it?" he asked. The three teenagers looked his way.

**oooooooooo**

Xander walked with his two best friends as they headed up the stairs to class the next day with Giles following them.

"I hear that the vice principal is going to take over until they can hire a replacement," Willow told them.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Buffy said then looked to them her brow furrowing, "unless they ask what happened to the last one."

"I had nothing to do with that, right?" Xander asked worriedly.

"Oh, right," Buffy told him and she looked to Willow

"You only ate the pig," Willow informed him.

Xander smiled weakly at them. "As in crispy, crunchy bacon?" The girls shook their heads. "Oh gross!" he said covering his face in horror. "I ate a pig? Not to mention the whole trichinosis issue!"

"Well it wasn't really you," Buffy said.

"I remember going to the hyena house then waking up there with Willow and a knife to her throat," he told them.

"You saved me," Willow said happy to have nice, sweet, Buffy crazed Xander back.

He grinned at this. "Nobody messes with my Willow," he told her hugging her. "I didn't do anything else stupid, did I?" he asked.

Buffy and Willow looked to each other then shook their heads. "Nah." "Not at all." They replied.

"Good!" Xander said in relief.

"Come on," Buffy told Willow. "We're going to be late." They headed off and Willow looked back.

"See you at lunch," she told him before they went through the doors into the school.

"Goin' vegetarian," he replied to her as Giles looked to him.

"In all my books on animal possession it doesn't mention memory loss," Giles informed them.

The smile was gone and the horrible truth was there. Xander looked to Giles. "Did you tell them anything?"

Giles shook his head. "Your secret dies with me," he replied and left him.

"Shoot me, stuff me, mount me," he muttered. He looked dejected as he headed off for his own classes. He remembered it all. It was awful how he treated Willow and tried to mate with Buffy. What was really hard was remembering Willow in the library stopping the others with magic spells. When did she learn this? More importantly is why didn't she ever tell him and how long would it take for her to fess up to him?

**oooooooooo**

Rack was bored; he sat in his lair watching Amy dance around in a haze of black magic overload. He shook his head at this, she was a fool. At least her mother had ambition to use what he traded for. Well, she'd be a good underling. He looked at her again. And she wasn't bad looking.

He felt someone new come into his waiting room. An old magic flowed in this one's veins. He got up but the door flew inward. He looked to see a pretty, dark headed woman in her late twenties look his way. "Interesting, not many witches can open my door," he told her.

"A warning to you, black death," she told him as she stepped in.

He raised an eyebrow at the name. "Black death, I like it."

"You shouldn't," she replied holding up a talisman made from a large coin carved with stars and some symbol in it, it looked old.

"What are you going to do with that?" he asked snorting out a laugh.

Amy came over. "Pretty," she said looking at it with glazed eyes as she looked to the woman. "Ms. Calendar."

Ms. Calendar's eyes narrowed seeing what had happened to the girl. She grabbed the Amyl's arm and pulled her out but Amy fought with her and went back to Rack's side and the dealer smiled. "Can't keep the pretty ones away," he told her. "What about you? You want a taste?"

"Hardly," Ms. Calendar told him. "I want you to stay away from Willow Rosenberg."

Rack smirked. "Strawberry? No, that one's mine, her power is so sweet."

"You've been warned, stay away from her," Ms. Calendar reminded him.

"Or what?" he asked pointing at the coin she held up. "You think you're going to stop me with that?"

"Yes," Ms. Calendar replied matter of factly. "Redimio vox of malum unus," she started to say.

"Oh shit," Rack got out as the talisman began to glow.

"Macero quod fade ut meus cruor dico. Sic is vadum exsisto," she said as he began to form magic to counter it.

Rack grasped at his throat and thrashed about knocking Amy over as he collapsed to the floor. His magic faded and so did the color in his skin until he was translucent. It was almost as if he had the life sucked out of him.

Ms. Calendar swallowed as she rested against the doorframe looking like it had taken a lot out of her but she cleared any weakness from her face and came over to him, grabbing his stringy hair she forced him to look her way. "If you look at her, talk to her, touch her, I will curse you in the name of the Kalderash. I curse you to fear the name of Willow Rosenberg. Believe me, you really won't like it." She left him.

He rested there feeling so weak it was worrying. Damn witches.

Ms. Calendar appeared outside of his lair, the secret entrance faded, the black magic dealer's power weakening. She stumbled to her knees and threw up. It took her ten minutes to get the strength to pick herself up and head for her car.

oooo

**Translation:** Bind the powers of the evil one. Weaken and fade as my blood calls. So it shall be.

**To Be Continued…**


	9. Chapter 9

It was just after five when Willow unlocked the front door to her house. "Mom? Dad?" she called out and listened a little. Nope, no one was home. They were still working and probably would until late. She went to the mail and found airline tickets for Miami next week, a conference. She put them back and found a few pieces of mail from some pen pals she had made over the internet. They wrote letters or sent things to her. One was from Germany, her hacker friends. The other was from Japan, a young woman a few years older than her who was interested in witchcraft.

She took those with a smile into the kitchen to grab a bottle of apple juice and then headed up to her room. She put her bag on her bed and settled down at her computer to open up her mail. Hopefully it would brighten her day more for something happy. Cordelia had been snotty to her again. Normally the brunette picked on Xander if they were together, but Xander was following Buffy so it was just her.

Then there was the helping in the library later on with her computer science class. That was interesting listening to Giles and Ms. Calendar bicker about which was better, computers or books. She had to hand it to Ms. Calendar; she could give as good as Giles gave.

Willow opened the padded envelope from Germany, computer code always excited her, she was working on her own program herself. Inside was a disk and a note, a new code idea. "Great," she said as she booted her computer up. She waited for that as she opened the one from Japan, Keiko sent her a charm. She put it with her others and thought about looking for one to send to her.

'_You've got mail'_, her computer chimed.

She clicked her mail open and found a few replies from her internet friends then found there was a new one, from a Malcolm. She clicked it open. A green light flickered really fast at her and she blinked a few times before it stopped. She felt a little dizzy as a window popped open.

_Hello, my name is Malcolm._

Willow looked at it for a half a minute before she typed back.

_Hi, I'm Willow._

_It's nice to meet you Willow._

**oooooooooo**

"Willow! Will! Hey wait up!" Buffy called out. Willow slowed down her walking to look back at her friend. Buffy smiled her way. "So Will, what's going on?" the Slayer asked as she slowed to walk with her.

"What?" Willow asked.

"I try calling you like five times last night and your line was always busy," Buffy told her.

Willow blinked at this, her brain felt a little slow, like swimming through Jell-O for the past four days. "It was?"

Buffy looked at her curiously. "Yeah, you okay?"

Willow nodded. "I was probably talking."

Buffy's eyes lit up and she got a grin on her face. "To who?" she frowned a little. "Or is that whom?" She looked back with the same grin. "To whom?" Willow smiled a little and Buffy stood up straighter. "Okay, you have a secret and that's not allowed."

Willow blinked again trying to focus on her. "Why not?"

"Because it's a rule!" Buffy replied. "Who is it? When did you meet them?"

"Malcolm and after the computer scanning party in the library," Willow told her.

"Malcolm huh?" Buffy grinned slyly at her. "What does he look like? Do I know him?"

Willow shook her head. "I don't think you've met him."

"What does he look like?" Buffy asked again. "Is he a hottie?" She grabbed Willow's arm when she didn't answer right off. "He's a hottie and you kept this from me?"

Willow shrugged. "We've never met."

Buffy's smile faded. "What?"

"We met online," she replied as she headed for her computer class.

Buffy looked really confused as she followed her. "Are you serious about him?" she asked.

Willow tried to think that clearly and found she couldn't. She wasn't serious but she liked him as a friend. "I guess so," she told her.

Buffy watched her carefully now as Willow set her bag down on a table and went to a computer station. "Is this a riddle? Wait, I can do these. Does it involve a midget and a block of ice?"

Willow normally would have laughed at her friend's humor but she couldn't today. Ms. Calendar came in and saw them. "Morning kids. Buffy, do you have a class?" she asked as she put her coffee down.

"No, I have a free," Buffy replied.

"Let's make it short then, okay?" the teacher replied as she sat down at her desk.

"Sure," Buffy told her. She looked to Willow who was looking to her screen and her eyes were blank. "Will?" she asked.

Willow blinked and looked her way. "Don't worry about it Buffy," she told her. "You know me, dependable person."

Buffy nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll see you at lunch."

Willow nodded at this and went back to her screen. Buffy left looking confused.

**oooooooooo**

"I'm telling you it was weird Giles," Buffy was telling Giles ten minutes later in the library sitting on the counter watching him. "It- it was like she was sleeptalking."

Giles looked her way from where he was working with his books. "Excuse me?"

"Normally, Willow's like all bright and bubbly," Buffy told him as she rifled through one of the books on his stack nearby her. "Today she was like she was stoned out Willow, not even a giggle about meeting a new guy. Not that she ever actually met him."

Giles took the book from her before she set it down someplace else and put it back on his stack. "Yes, well, why don't you go talk to one of those computer people, maybe you can find out who this new guy is?"

Buffy smiled. "That's why I like you Giles. All those millions of years of book smarts," she said hopping down from the counter. "Catch ya later," she told him as she took up her bag and left.

He watched her go. "Millions of years...wonderful," he replied as he went back to looking through his books. He let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair and looked to the chaos of his books. Part of it was from cataloguing, the other from his own work. He was looking for books that talked about this wizarding world Willow mentioned.

He sat down at the table and took off his glasses. What if Willow was right? He looked haunted at that.

**oooooooooo**

Willow was typing at her computer to Malcolm. Somehow her class work didn't seem all that important.

_Do you love me Willow?_ Malcolm asked on the screen.

_I don't know._ She replied.

_I can give you everything._ He told her.

Willow blinked tiredly. _Buffy says we need to meet._

_Buffy doesn't know everything._ Malcolm wrote to her. _She got kicked out of her old school. _

Willow shook her head a little. _How did you know that?_

_It's on her permanent record._ He replied. She didn't write anything as her brow furrowed and she fought the cotton feeling there. _You must have told me._ He wrote.

Willow swallowed as she willed herself to feel normal, it was agitating her. _I need to sign off._

_Don't._

_Bye._ She typed in and turned her computer off. Willow sat there for another minute as bile rose up in her throat and she ran out of the classroom.

"Willow!" Ms. Calendar called out. She went to the door to see Willow run around the corner. She came back in and saw that Willow had left all of her stuff at her desk.

**oooooooooo**

Willow went home. She found she had left her house keys in her bag and she wasn't going back to school for them. She got the key out from under a pot by the door and let herself in. What was going on with her head? She sat down on the couch and looked to the wall. She had just cut school! She'd never done that before.

She went upstairs and changed her clothes. She looked to her computer as she pulled on a t shirt, for the first time in her life she was scared of it. Stuffing some money in her pocket along with the spare key and left to walk around.

It didn't matter about her parents; they had left the night before for their conference acting as if social services would never notice. Willow walked around the town looking in stores and avoiding adults who just might realize she should probably be in school. At lunch time she settled in at a fast food joint. She ordered a chicken sandwich, fries and a mocha milkshake. Caffeine always made her feel better. Even through her stuffy head she was feeling proud of her rebellious attitude.

She took a sip of her milkshake when she heard a familiar voice come through the doors. "Tell them that if they don't provide a better living condition for their children that I will get a court order," they said.

Willow felt herself still as she slowly turned to see Agent Coltrane and some woman she didn't know come join the line to order, Agent Coltrane was talking on a cell phone. Willow's face paled as she set her drink down and slid down in her seat. Okay, maybe she wasn't feeling that rebellious. When they were at a place in the line to where they couldn't see her she snuck out leaving her food behind running out of the place to put a safe distance between her and the tall woman. She headed for home.

**oooooooooo**

It was later in the day when Buffy found herself at the library again. This time Xander was there. "It was weird Giles," she told him.

Giles sighed. "Déjà vu," he told her thinking of the conversation they had had a few hours earlier.

"Gesundheit," Xander replied.

"No really, Dave was acting all sleepytalky too when I talked to him in his computer class. He got ultra wiggy about Malcolm and told me to stay away from Willow, whatever that's supposed to mean. So I followed him," Buffy told them.

"To where?" Giles asked.

She shrugged. "A place called CRD."

"Calax Research and Development," Xander told them. "It's a computer research lab. Third largest employer in Sunnydale until it closed down last year." Buffy and Giles looked surprised at this. "What? I can't have information sometimes?"

"It's was somewhat unprecedented," Giles told him and Buffy nodded.

He smiled at that. "My uncle worked there in a floor sweeping capacity."

"But it closed?" Buffy asked. Xander nodded. Buffy looked to Giles. "Looked pretty functional to me."

"What do they need Dave for?" Xander asked.

"He is pretty smart, computers and all that," Buffy told them.

"A high school kid?" Xander said. He had a point, what could he do that an adult couldn't?

"I think I know," Giles said as he brought out a book with a demon on the front. He and Ms. Calendar had an argument about computers early in the day. She had opened it and there was nothing there. "Does this look familiar?" he said putting it down.

"It's a book," Buffy said.

"I knew that," Xander replied.

"In the dark ages the souls of demons were sometimes trapped in volumes. There they remained harmless unless the pages were read aloud. This is Moloch, the Corrupter. A very deadly and seductive demon," Giles told them. "He draws people to him with promises of love, power and knowledge. He preys on impressionable minds."

"Like Dave's," Xander said.

"And who knows how many others," Giles replied.

"And he's in the book?" Buffy asked.

Giles looked chagrined as he opened it up to show it was blank. "Not anymore."

"You released Moloch?" Xander said in disbelief.

"Way to go!" Buffy reprimanded him.

"I didn't!" Giles got out defending himself. "It was that dreadful Calendar woman who found it, it was already blank."

"Okay," Buffy said looking confused. "So big powerful demon with horns is walking around Sunnydale and nobody noticed?"

"Why bother with Dave?" Xander said. "Why not do it himself?"

Giles shrugged a little. "I don't know, I don't even know who could've read the book. It wasn't in English."

Buffy looked suspicious now. "Where was it?

Giles waved to the computer. "In the pile to be, um, scanned," he told her trying to remember the correct terminology.

They looked over at it. "Great," Buffy said realizing that Moloch wasn't out here, but in there, everywhere.

They tried deleting the file but Moloch himself popped up and warned them away from Willow then disappeared. After they realized how dangerous he was they decided to go find Willow. Buffy found Dave dead in the computer lab and Xander couldn't get Willow on the phone. Buffy and Xander were getting ready to leave as Giles was talking to them.

"Alright," Buffy said firmly. "Xander and I will go find Willow. Giles you need to find a way to get Moloch out of the computer and back into the book."

Giles looked frustrated. "I have books on capturing demons that are flesh, Buffy. This-," he stopped, "would be a good time for you to find the file by author as well as by title."

Buffy and Xander looked at him like he was crazy. "I just came by to see if Willow was here. And to check your new database, 'cause I'm guessing you haven't," Ms. Calendar said coming up from behind the two teens. She looked to them. "You kids like the library a lot, don't you?"

"To read makes our speaking English good," Xander got out.

Buffy bumped him to shut up. "What's wrong with Willow?" she asked.

Ms. Calendar made a face. "She ran out of my class and didn't show up to any of her other classes afterwards."

"Willow cutting class?" Xander said with a smile. "She'd never do that." Buffy looked at him and he frowned realizing Willow hadn't been herself lately. "Maybe not."

"You guys know something?" Ms. Calendar asked.

Buffy looked to Giles. "He'll explain it all to you, I think you could help him with a _big_ _computer problem_," she said stressing the last few words to her watcher.

He nodded at that realizing what she was saying. "Of course."

Buffy dragged Xander along with her to the doors. "Makes our speaking English good?" she asked.

"I panicked, okay?" he told her.

Ms. Calendar tucked her sunglasses into her hair on the top of her head and looked curiously at the librarian. "What can I help you with?"

He sighed and headed for his office. "Come with me please."

**oooooooooo**

Willow woke up feeling worse than before. She looked around to see that she was in some kind of high tech computer lab. She had come home and found an email from Malcolm. She didn't respond and then there was a knock at the door and now she was here, wherever here was. She sat up and looked to see that Fritz and some guy in a lab coat were standing to the side just watching her. Creepy.

"Welcome, my love," a computerized voice said. Willow looked over to the screen that was on then to something humanoid looking in the shadows behind it. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you," it said as it came out to show a robot in the shape of a demon with big curly horns, "with my own two eyes."

Willow felt like she was going to throw up or pass out or something really bad. "Malcolm," she got out as Fritz and the lab coat guy forced her off the bed.

He came closer and Willow watched as the two men seemed enraptured by this evil robot thing. "This world is so exciting, so powerful and new," he told her as he looked to the men. "But nothing compares to having form. To walk, to touch," he said putting his large clawed hand on the top of Fritz's head and turned it cracking the boy's neck. "To kill," Malcolm finished as Fritz dropped to the floor.

Willow turned and threw up on the floor, she had seen people rise from the dead and dead people but never one killed so blatantly in front of her. "This is not a bad thing, Willow," Malcolm told her and she wiped off her mouth backing away from him.

"What do you want from me?" she asked as tears formed in her eyes. She understood more now, the blank look in Fritz's eyes showed her it was what she had been feeling, only she fought it.

"To give you the world," Malcolm said simply.

"Why?" she asked.

"You created me," he said as he followed her in her backing up process. "You gave me life, took me out of the book that held me. I want to repay you."

Willow got mad. "How? By lying to me? Pretending to be something you aren't?"

"I can give you everything," he said not understanding her anger. "Right now a man is transferring money in Beijing to have his mother killed. Good for him," he said simply.

"Don't say that! I don't want anything to do with this!" she told him as the tears fell. "I want to leave," she said heading for the door but the lab coat man cut her off.

"But I love you," he replied.

"I don't love you!" she told him fiercely. "How could you love anyone? You're evil!"

He looked as thoughtful as a robot could. "Pity," he told her.

There was a thump on the door but Malcolm paid it no mind. He reached out for her. Willow put up her hand. "Expelliarmus!" she said angrily and light flashed from her hand. Malcolm shifted back about five feet and his metal body crackled a little. "Flagrare!" she got out as he headed for her again and red flames came from her hand to him. He jerked as the wiring in his body seized up little licks of fire encased him but slowly died out with nothing to catch fire too. The lab coat guy grabbed her and she fought with him.

"A witch, impressive," Malcolm said. "I thought only to kill you, but you will serve me well with this new technology," he said as grabbed her by the neck and moved her to a chair that had binders on the arms, there was medical equipment on a tray nearby. He let her go as he clutched his head screaming. "No!" he cried out.

Willow scrambled out of the way from him and the lab coat man to bump into the remains of Fritz. She moved over him as the door crashed in and there were Buffy and Xander.

Buffy ran up and did a jumping side kick at Moloch only to be fall off him while Xander fought with lab coat guy. "Ow, metal," Buffy said as she got up. Moloch screamed as the spell Giles and Ms. Calendar cast was causing him great pain. "Out!" Buffy said grabbing Willow's hand as Xander decked the lab coat guy.

"I hit him!" Xander said happily holding his hand. "Did you see it?" He looked to Moloch screaming realizing it wasn't the best place to celebrate his manliness he ran with the girls.

They head for the doors out to see a guard and more lab coats coming. Buffy shut the door. "Not that way."

"Back this way!" Xander said heading for the other side.

Moloch broke through the wall separating Xander from the girls. He backhanded Xander in the face throwing him back to the floor, blood coming from his nose. He faced off against the two girls. "I was omnipotent!" Malcolm told them angrily.

Buffy ran up and hit him knocking him back a little, she tried a roundhouse kick and he pushed her back into the wall, she hit hard. "I was everything!" he roared.

"Impedimenta!" Willow said, light struck Moloch again and he went down struggling.

Buffy got up fists at the ready as Xander groaned holding his nose. "Sweet," Buffy said to Willow about her spell.

Willow was so tired but she was really angry. This was all her fault! Moloch moved and Buffy kicked him into the wall past Xander who was getting up. "Where's the truck that hit me?" Xander said looking to Moloch. "There it is."

Moloch threw them both back with a sweep of his arm. Willow ducked Buffy's legs as she crashed against the door. "This body is all I have left!" he told them, his robotic eyes bright red. "But it is enough to crush you!"

Xander coughed from where he sat in pain while Buffy slowly got up. She went at him once more and there were a few hits exchanged but Buffy went to her knees in pain, her lip swollen and her body limp. Moloch grabbed her head to kill her like he had Fritz.

This wasn't going to happen! Not to her best friend. She did the only one she could think of to end it. "Avada kedavra!" Willow said and a green light shot from her hand into Moloch and he screamed as a green light surged around him and the light dimmed from his red eyes and he fell over dead.

Willow helped Buffy over to where Xander was and knelt by them. "I'm so sorry," she said through the tears that came.

Buffy relaxed as she touched Willow's red hair. "You came through."

Willow smiled at that as they both looked to Xander who was still holding his nose stanching it with the end of his shirt.

"I wish you would have told me in a different way, Will," he said. "No need for nose bloodying."

Buffy raised an eyebrow at that. "You knew?"

"How?" Willow asked. The only time she ever cast in front of him was when he was a hyena possessed meanie. Buffy and Willow looked to each other as Xander slowly got up and Willow followed, the two helped Buffy.

"That's not the important question," he said. "What's important is that I'll love you anyway and you need to tell Xander everything, not just the boring parts," he said hugging his best friend.

The three headed out of the building. "That wasn't a question," Buffy told him.

"But it was most important," Xander reminded her with his arm about Willow's shoulders. Buffy was holding Willow's free hand.

"Pig eater," Buffy said knowing that he knew that she knew what he remembered.

"Deadboy lover," he countered.

"Praying mantis slut," Buffy countered back.

Willow laughed for the first time in a week.

**oooooooooo**

Ms. Calendar sat in a chair at the table watching as Giles cleaned Buffy and Xander up from their fight listening to what had happened more stunned than anything. Her eyes went wider as she realized just who Buffy and Giles were.

"Willow cast an awesome spell, Giles, took Moloch right out," Buffy said looking to the redhead who was half asleep on the steps.

"Two even," Xander said through the gauze packed up his nose.

Giles looked to Willow with a sigh. "Willow need I remind you about corruptible power?" he asked as he wrapped up Buffy's arm.

"I think it's great," Ms. Calendar said. "You should work on building them."

Giles glared at her. "Come now, you yourself have seen what power like that can do," he said motioning to the fried computer where they had cast the spell to stop Moloch.

"Not all magic is like that Rupert," she informed him.

"Yeah," Buffy said looking to Ms. Calendar then back to her watcher. "How did you convince her to help us?"

"She's a-," he stopped for a moment to think about it as he put tape on the bandage at her arm.

"Technopagan," Ms. Calendar told them.

"Magic and computers," Willow said sleepily. "I've read about it."

"And you're a witch, much more than any technopagan," Ms. Calendar told her. "Are you training?"

"No!" Giles said looking her way with a firm glare now. "She should be letting this go!"

"Oh grow up, Rupert!" Ms. Calendar shot back. "Not everything is evil and tainted by black magics. If she isn't trained then anything could happen!"

"If she doesn't then there's no problem to start with," he retorted back just as loudly.

"Still here," Willow said softly reminding them they were shouting about her.

They saw the three teens watching them. "It's better just to stay away from it," Giles said.

Ms. Calendar made a face at that. "I disagree, but then that seems to be our thing."

"Quite," the librarian replied.

"Well, you two can keep on disagreeing," Buffy said standing up. "I'm in dire need of a bath and long night's sleep." She smiled at Giles in thanks and held her hand out to Willow. "Come on sleepyhead, let's take Xander home." Willow got up and took her hand then Xander's and they headed for the door. Buffy looked at the adults. "You two play nice while we're gone."

Giles and Ms. Calendar rolled their eyes at that.

**oooooooooo**

It was much later that evening when Angel walked silently into the school library to see Giles working through some of the books. "Have you seen the signs?" Angel asked softly.

Giles started up holding the book he was reading to his chest out of fear. "Don't do that please," he asked the vampire. He looked to Angel. "What signs?"

"The return of the Master," Angel said.

Giles nodded. "I've seen word that a vampire king will come forth, yes. And Buffy will have to face him."

"The Master," Angel told him as he came forward. "Something's already in motion. Where have you been looking?"

"I've studied most of the extant volumes. Some are lost. The Tiberius Manifesto, the Pergamum Codex…"

"The Codex?" Angel said. "Not lost, misplaced. I can get it for you."

Giles looked shocked. "Thank you, that-that would be of great help." Angel nodded and started to leave. "Angel," Giles said. The vampire looked back at him. "Might I ask you one thing more?" Angel turned around fully now. "What do you know about a wizarding world?

Angel's eyebrows went up. "How do you know about that? The council doesn't," he told him.

"But it is real, yes?" Giles said.

Angel nodded. "Yes, but like you said a wizarding world, its own world where only wizards are truly welcome, muggles remain here."

"Muggles?" Giles asked.

Angel smiled a little. "Why do you ask?"

Giles took off his glassed and wiped his forehead. He was still uncertain being this close to a vampire. "Willow I'm afraid. She believes as Buffy does that she is one of these wizards."

"She'd be a witch, men are wizards," Angel said.

"You've been there then? To this world?" Giles asked.

"Once or twice, vampires aren't really welcome. No one wants to be in a wizarding prison or as an ingredient in a potion or dead," Angel told him. "Vampires don't stay very long."

"What do I do about Willow then?" Giles asked.

Angel shrugged. "If she is one, she's the right age for a wizarding school. But the Hellmouth would stop that. They wouldn't know she's here. That's why so many monsters come, so the American Wizengamot can't find them."

Giles rubbed his forehead. This was too much.

**oooooooooo**

Willow liked getting back into her routine. She told her teachers she had been sick and she signed a note for herself in her mother's handwriting. That she had gotten down when she was thirteen. Xander's mom's handwriting she had at eleven, that way he got out of things and could go to things.

She looked to the small computer lab they were in, the other having been closed off by the police because of Dave's body hanging in there. She felt bad about it but Buffy reminded her it was Moloch/Malcolm who was at fault. Not her.

She sat down at her terminal and got to work; she had to make up for the past few days. She looked to Ms. Calendar who came in same as usual in her leather jacket; sunglasses perched on her head and a coffee in her hand. "Morning," she told the few who were there.

Class went fine; Ms. Calendar stopped her from leaving when it was over. "Willow," the teacher told her watching the last of the class leave until they were alone. "I know Rupert-, Mr. Giles and I disagreed on your gift." Willow looked down. "I don't know much about your kind of magic, but I've studied quite a bit on the occult. I'll help you if you like; give you a place to train, teach you what I can."

Willow looked up at her surprised. "Really?" She smiled then looked curious. "Why?" she asked shyly.

Ms. Calendar smiled. "I know what it's like to be stuck in a family that doesn't understand. I'd really like to see what you can do and to help."

Willow grinned. "Thank you. I- really, I, thanks."

Ms. Calendar nodded. "How about we meet here tomorrow after school?" Willow nodded at this. "Okay, off with you," she said shooing her out the door.

Willow left happily.

**oooooooooo**

Mid afternoon of the next day Willow got out of Ms. Calendar's car and the brunette led her up to a small house. "This is nice," Willow told her nervously.

Ms. Calendar smiled. "Not bad on a teacher's salary, but it'll do." She unlocked the door and motioned for her to go inside. "I do most of my casting in the basement. Smells and all that."

Willow nodded not really understanding what she was talking about. She looked about staying around the doorway. It was modern looking, a nice TV and sofa set and there was a desk nearby. "Ooo, a laptop!" Willow said.

Ms. Calendar laughed as she came back without her jacket on. "Only a computer nerd would say something like that." Willow looked a little embarrassed. "I'm one too, you're safe," her teacher told her. She opened a door. "Let me show you my casting room."

Willow followed her down the steps. Ms. Calendar turned on the lights it had a concrete floor with symbols and signs painted on. There were used candles about the place and a stack of books and other objects on a dais at the end of the long room with different bottles and bundles of dried plants about, it smelled different but nice. Willow came off the last step and felt Ms. Calendar press something cold to her forehead while pressing her other hand to Willow's chest where her pendant hung.

"Veritas Somnus," Ms. Calendar said and Willow passed out. Ms. Calendar caught her up and carefully laid her out on the floor tucking a jacket under the redhead's head. "Sorry, sweetie," she told Willow. "But if I'm going to do my job then I need to find out a few things."

She was slow to stand as she went to the table and returned with a small bowl filled with little bits of different kinds of woods, barks, leaves, and a small book. "I am not cut out for this," she muttered as she sank down gratefully. She stroked back some red strands of Willow's hair just before she lit a match and set it in the bowl and let the dry wood catch on fire waiting for the smoke to drift up into the air. She opened her book and held her talisman in her hand and spoke. "Beatus oak, yew, ornus , tabesco. Igneus ornus , intorqueo caliga. Ostendo mihi meus refero , ostendo sum ut mihi verum unus pro mihi. Per cruor meus cruor sic exsisto."

Ms. Calendar watched as the smoke changed color with her words to a deep yellow forming above Willow's body and swirled there. "Vestri nomen?" she asked.

_Willow Danielle Rosenberg_ appeared in the smoke only to fade. _Willow Juliet Gale_ appeared and faded. _Willow Lily Potter_ appeared and stayed.

"Vestri ortus?" Ms. Calendar asked. Willow's name disappeared and _Godric's Hollow, Swansea, Wales_ appeared in the smoke.

Ms. Calendar looked to her book again. "Es vos unus meus cruor orator, meus causa, meus absentis?" she asked. Willow's birthplace swirled away and the words, _of your blood's wish I am, _appeared.

"Quisnam est electus unus vos es vilis iuvo?" she asked. The old words vanished and new ones appeared. _The Boy Who Lived; The Vampire Slayer_.

"Suum nomen?" she asked. _Harry James Potter; Buffy Anne Summers_ appeared now.

"Duos fatum?" she got out not believing what she was seeing. Their names gone and new appeared again. _One by blood, One by love, she is bound to both_.

"Operor vos nomen illa fatum?" she asked watching carefully as the last one faded away. _The Power_.

"Ops operor quis?" she asked. _To change that which is written in the stars_, appeared.

Ms. Calendar stared at it for a long moment then to Willow's slight form. "Gratias ago vos pro tribuo mihi. Memor non ut vos suscitatio," she finished.

The smoke drifted and slowly cleared. Ms. Calendar put the book away after writing a few things in it then took out her coin talisman and pressed it to Willow's forehead and the other over the pendant. "Suscitatio," she whispered and tucked the talisman away.

Willow shifted and then her eyes opened. "Huh?" she whispered and looked around.

"That smoke gets me once in a while too," Ms. Calendar said.

Willow sat up with her help. "Sorry," she told her. "I don't remember what happened."

"I showed you some incense and the smoke hit you like a ton of bricks. It's okay, we'll go a little slower next time," Ms. Calendar replied. "Why don't you go on home and rest. We'll try again next week."

Willow nodded. "Thanks."

Ms. Calendar saw her out and watched her head for home. "Damn it," she muttered making a face and shaking her head as she went back inside her home. She had her work cut out for her.

**oooooooooo**

Sirius Black, escaped prisoner of Azkaban ran for his life. He ducked through sagebrush and down through a valley of sand spraying it in a fine mist as he crouched behind a rock jutting up from the ground. He had his two way mirror out.

"I can't run forever Remus!" he whispered into it.

"They've locked onto you then?" his friend asked.

"Yes!" Sirius hissed back looking out over the Nevada desert. He had gone to the wizarding city of Thornehead just outside of the muggle city Lake Tahoe. He didn't expect visiting Brits to spot him. Oh no, that would be too easy. Now the American aurors had been tracking him for days and he found himself out in the middle of the desert. He could hear talking in the background where Remus was. He was in he wizarding city of Digbysdon, Texas looking for Willow there.

"Albus says to apparate-," Remus started.

"Do you think they aren't waiting for that?" Sirius said. Goddamn bloody American aurors. "The minute I apparate and I have twenty of them waiting for me!" he told him angrily.

"To Sunnydale, California," Remus finished.

Sirius stopped his rant and looked to him. "Sunnydale? What's Sunnydale?"

"Albus says it is the active Hellmouth and they can't track you there," Remus replied.

"Hellmouth's are a myth like demons," Sirius said.

"Well if it isn't true then they'll be waiting, if not, you'll be fine won't you?" Remus bit off. "Albus will send a portkey."

Sirius let out a grunt of displeasure. "Soon, Remus, very soon." He put his mirror away and drew out his wand and he was gone.

Sirius re-appeared and cried out as he dropped twenty feet to the grass below. He scrambled for cover behind a large tree holding his ribs, the fall had hurt. Wand at the ready to fight he waited watching, no aurors had come. Slowly he began to smile then quiet chuckle of laughter. "Next I'll be seeing demons stroll by," he told himself as he relaxed a little.

It was a pretty place with trees and grass, a little hot but nice. He saw a walkway thirty feet between him and the tree he was hiding behind and what looked to be a park just beyond that. "Muggles living on a Hellmouth," he muttered, "insane." He closed his eyes and rested waiting to hear the pop of a portkey arriving.

Behind him on the walkway a fourteen year old redhead walked quickly along, it was going to be night soon and she didn't want to be out when the demons came to call. If Sirius had looked he would have seen a great likeness to his friend Lily Potter in that girl, and the one they had been looking for. Unfortunately he didn't and she was gone from view when a small Coke bottle popped into view and Sirius hurried for it wanting to be gone from America and their persistent aurors for a while.

oooo

**Translations:** Truthful sleep

Blessed oak, yew, ash, pine. Burning ash, twisting mist. Show me my answers, reveal to me the truth of the one before me. By the blood of my blood so be it.

Your name

Your birth

Are you the one my blood has spoken of, my reason, my mission here

Who is the chosen one you are meant to help

Their names

Two destinies

Do you have a name in these destinies

The power to do what

Thank you for granting me this. Remember it not when you awake

Awake

**To Be Continued…**


	10. Chapter 10

"So Will," Xander said as he, Willow and Buffy walked towards the library. It was dark out and Giles had asked them to come. "How's the training going with Ms. Calendar?"

Willow nodded. "It's really nice," she told him as her eyes lit up excitedly. "She's been looking through the books I have and we talk about things like meditation and chakras. It's so cool."

"Yeah, it's a chakra to my heart, Will," Xander told her and she gave him a look but both she and Buffy smiled at his joke.

"So is she a big time wiccan caster?" Buffy asked as they turned the last hallway towards the library.

"No, she dabbles and reads about it more than anything, that's why she's a technopagany person instead of, well, you know, a witch," Willow replied. She liked going to Jenny's as the older woman insisted she call her outside of the classroom after the first week. "I'm going again tomorrow."

"Your parents back yet?" Buffy asked.

Willow shook her head. Xander made a noise as they went in through the doors to the library. "I wish mine would disappear," he told them.

"Social services said anything?" Buffy asked her.

Willow shrugged. "I usually say they've gone somewhere. I think the agent's sort of busy with other kids to look any closer."

As they came further into the room Buffy smiled when she saw that Angel was there talking with Giles. The dark vampire looked her way and she grinned. Xander made a strangled noise at this. "Hey," Buffy said to Angel.

"Hi," Angel replied and they looked to each other for a long moment and Willow grinned, she thought it was cute. Angel looked to the others as Giles finally noticed they were there.

"Oh yes, you're here," Giles said closing his book.

"Here we are. What's the latest Giles?" Buffy asked slowly moving way from Angel to take a seat.

"Other than patrolling when we're done here, nothing," the watcher told her.

"Then why are we here?" Xander asked him taking the seat between Buffy and Angel.

"This is about Willow," Giles told them.

Willow's eyebrow went up at that as they all looked her way. "What? I-I didn't do anything, I swear," she said timidly. "Not since evil demon in a metal body. A-and I think he deserved it."

"Angel has lived many years, you know this," Giles said. The three teenagers nodded. "Angel has been to the Wizarding world and knows what it is."

They all sat up at that. "You do?" Buffy asked. Xander looked curious and Willow looked nervous.

"Some stuff," Angel replied looking to Willow and he smiled her way. "It's nice to finally meet you." Willow grinned at that. For the most part it had been watching him and Buffy talk at the Bronze but never an introduction.

Buffy looked a little mortified at that. "Sorry, my bad."

Angel smiled at her and Willow thought that Xander was going to throw up. "Buffy said you were adopted, that makes a lot of sense with you not knowing you're a witch."

Xander sat up at that. "What?!" he asked looking at Willow.

"I-I," Willow said totally stunned going very pale. "I didn't know how to tell you," she said weakly.

"But you told Buffy," Xander said accusingly.

"When I found out she could do spells, Xander," Buffy said looking to how Willow was just squirming under the young man's gaze.

Xander still didn't look happy. Willow winced at this. "You- we always talked about how we wish we were adopted-," she started as sunk a little lower in her chair looking even smaller than her slight frame. "M-my parents they just told me at my bat mitzvah," she stopped as tears formed. "Like now that I knew they didn't need to worry about me anymore." She looked to her friend.

"So they didn't," Xander said as he slumped down in his chair too, how could he be mad at that. "What about your witchy skills, when did you learn about them?"

Willow shrugged. "About eleven, but probably before then." She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she told him.

Xander was silent for a long time looking at the table digging the toe of his shoe into the edge of the wood leg as he thought about this while the others watched between the two of them. Buffy was coming very close to kicking Xander really hard when the dark headed boy finally looked up. "Did you set the Anderson's house on fire at my seventh birthday party?" he asked.

Willow went really pale then bright red in embarrassment. "Probably."

The others eyebrows went up at that. "What's this?" Giles asked.

Xander smiled. "I got my fire trucks." Willow nodded but wouldn't look at him. Xander sighed and got up from his seat and came to sit by her and she looked even tinier. Xander hugged her close, she didn't return it. "Any other big deep dark Willowy secrets I need to know about?" he asked as he sat back and looked at her. "Maybe even first this time?" She shook her head but still wouldn't look at him. "So when we find your parents, can they be mine too? Because I gotta say, so far Buffy's mom is looking like our best bet here," he told her hugging her again.

Willow half laughed and cried at this as she leaned into him, she saw that Buffy's eyes were watery and Giles had removed his glasses and was looking away from them. Angel looked a little embarrassed.

Xander finally let her go. "So, what's the what with Willow's witchy world?"

"I've only been to two," Angel told them. "The one in New York, Giles said you've been there."

"Briefly, this guy knew my name and then came after me," Willow started, her eyes getting wider as she told him, "he was saying I was his, and then everyone tried to stop him from getting a hold of me and he roared like- like some kind of animal. I got out of there before I saw much of anything."

"Kalispell Square," Angel told her. "That leads to Blackchurch."

"Black church what?" Buffy asked. "An actual black church? Is it evil?"

"No, when pilgrims started for America wizards came with them. They look like everyone else," Angel replied. "Wizarding cities were formed and blocked in magic so that muggles or humans as you're called can't find them. They were named back then and the names never change."

"But it is in New York," Giles said.

Angel nodded. "You'd never find it, even Wiccan casters can't. Their magic works differently, like AC/DC."

"I heard about that group from my dad," Buffy said. "So not with the impressed."

"Electricity," Willow told her. "AC is an alternating current, DC is a direct current."

"Huh?" Buffy asked.

"They're both electricity but they work different ways," Willow said.

"Yet both very painful," Xander quipped.

"Like wizarding magic and wiccan magic," Angel replied. "Wiccans can't do wizarding and wizards who try Wiccan – it usually comes out wrong."

Willow looked away, Buffy and Xander caught it. "You tried it," Xander said.

"Giles's book!" Buffy said looking to her watcher.

"Oh dear," Giles said. "Which one was is? Did it harm anything, you know you shouldn't been working with something you know nothing about-," he started telling Willow seriously.

"Heel Giles," Buffy said. "She's alive, everything okay. Breathe." Giles actually did it.

"I tried making a plant grow faster," Willow replied.

"And what happened?" Xander asked her in his 'you've been naughty' voice.

"It killed half of them and the one I tried it on grew so big I had to get clippers to trim it down," Willow told them.

Xander and Buffy smiled at that. Giles just shook his head pulling his glasses off once again. "And the other place?" Willow asked Angel.

"England, London," Angel told her. "Diagon Alley. It's like Kalispell Square."

The teens looked to Giles who was from England and the watcher made a noise. "I've never seen nor heard of it."

"Mystical creatures can usually find it with that much magical energy running around it," Angel told him.

"So there are all these wizards just living and hanging out in their own private world?" Xander asked.

Angel nodded. "They can live in the muggle world but how would you do any magic without your neighbors noticing?"

"Will does magic," Buffy said. Willow nodded at this, she did do it.

"But you're also living on the Hellmouth, you can't track magic here that's why so many creatures come," Angel replied.

"Then why don't they all live here?" Xander asked.

"Magic goes wrong on a Hellmouth," Giles told them. "The watchers council has studied it for years. It has a tendency not to work or if it does it turns dark."

Willow looked offended. "Mine isn't dark."

"Wizarding magic comes from you," Angel said. "Wiccan and black magic comes from the earth or a blessing from a higher power. You're the one that would make it dark. And having lived here for most of your life would probably make it easier for you to do here."

"And I thought my life was confusing," Buffy said wryly.

Angel didn't know much more than that and Willow left with them for home with more questions than answers.

**oooooooooo**

"He's evil, pure unadulterated evil," Buffy said the next afternoon.

"Pygmy evil, pygmies are evil, right?" Xander asked from where he laid down on the grass in between Buffy and Willow on the lawn on the far edge of the grounds opposite the school so Principal Snyder couldn't get after them for anything.

Willow whimpered and they both looked her way. "I can't do a talent show," she got out. "I'm talentless."

"Yeah, high honor, four point oh, witch with a mind like a steel trap talentless," Xander reminded her.

"Nothing there for talent unless you want me to explain something about hacking the internet or-or the theory of relativity," Willow reminded him back.

"You play the piano," he offered.

Buffy sat up at this. "Will, you play the piano?" Buffy asked. Willow gave her a look that she might, a little. "Maybe you could play and Xander and I could attempt to sing."

"In front of people, then no, I don't," Willow told her. "Did you see Morgan and his dummy?" she said quickly getting them off that idea. "If there was a prize he'd win." The other two nodded in agreement.

"We just have to get through it," Xander told them.

Buffy let out a breath of frustration. "So dramatic scene?"

"Yup." "Uh huh." Her friends replied.

A car pulled up and the passenger window rolled down. "Willow?" Ms. Calendar said.

Willow sat up so quickly Xander flinched. "Gah!" he cried out grabbing on to Buffy who gave him a deadly look when one hand went very close to a part of her that was in the 'no touching zone' and he rolled off of her.

"Ms. Calendar!" Willow said scrambling up. "I'm sorry I forgot!" She grabbed her bag while Buffy and Xander sat up to see their computer teacher.

"Yeah, Snyder has us doing the talent show," Xander said.

"Fun," Ms. Calendar replied with a touch of sarcasm. "You thought up anything yet?"

Willow opened the car door. "We were thinking dramatic reading," Willow told her.

Ms. Calendar smiled a little. "No talents for the masses then?"

"Not really," Buffy replied as Willow got in. "Snyder thinks we're a bad influence."

Ms. Calendar shrugged. "Might be interesting if you live up to that, he might not ask you again."

Willow waved to them. "Tomorrow Buffy's right?" They nodded and she shut the door and the car left.

Xander looked confused at Buffy. "I don't remember any asking, do you?" he asked. Buffy looked thoughtful at what Ms. Calendar had said. "It was more telling," Xander continued, "with maybe more than a hint of commanding." He nodded at his own dialogue. "He does command quite well." Buffy gave him a look and he smiled and shrugged. "Willow isn't here to do that part," he told her.

"Let's go see if Giles is done yet," she told him smiling back and stood up, they headed for the library.

**oooooooooo**

Ms. Calendar looked to her student as she drove them to her home. "You really don't like that, do you?"

Willow shook her head. "Bad stage fright," she replied. "I don't do well in a crowd."

Ms. Calendar pulled into her driveway and the two of them got out. "Do you need to call your mom? We could be awhile," she asked as they went up and she unlocked the door letting them both in.

"No," Willow replied and Ms. Calendar looked her way. "Um, she's still at work, so I get home before she does."

Ms. Calendar gave her another look then let it go. She got a book from her bag and set it down. "I borrowed that from Rupert, I want you to show me which spell you cast," she told her.

"He told you?" Willow asked taking the book of Charms, Spells and Incantations up slowly.

Ms. Calendar nodded as she got her jacket off and headed into the kitchen. "Did you look at the preparations before you did anything?" she asked as she came out a moment later with two bottles of juice and a bowl of potato chips. She motioned her to the couch.

Willow sat down and looked her way. "Preparations? Like getting a plant?"

Ms. Calendar smiled. "There's more to it than that when it comes to casting."

Willow looked confused. "You just don't point and say a word and there it is?"

Ms. Calendar shook her head. "What have we been learning so far?" she asked her.

"Meditation and chakras," Willow replied.

"You also need a protective circle, candles of different kinds, these would probably be green and white," Ms. Calendar said taking the book gently from her and looking to where Willow had opened it up. "Purifying the ritual, blessing anything used." She looked up to see Willow looked like she was having second thoughts. "You'll learn how to focus your thoughts; wizarding spells will be easier for you."

"I thought mine was easy," Willow said looking to her juice bottle.

"There's potion making," Ms. Calendar enticed her with.

"Chemistry?" Willow asked looking cheerful again.

Ms. Calendar laughed at that. How many girls got excited over something like chemistry?

**oooooooooo**

The next evening Willow found herself walking from the Sun Cinema Theaters between her two best friends.

"That could have been so much better," Buffy said as she ate a piece of popcorn from the small bucket she and Willow had shared through the movie, it was almost empty.

"I liked the part where Enigma tells that guy that he pushed into the ocean-," Xander said. "Surfs up, Big Kocounos!"

"I thought he said cajones," Buffy replied. Willow looked shocked at that and Buffy thought about what she just said. "Didn't he?" the Slayer asked.

"It's Kocounos!" Xander told her. "I was there, I saw it."

"Kahona," Willow told them. "It's Hawaiian."

The other two were silent. "I still liked it," Xander said as he poured out the last from his box of junior mints. He had that, a big popcorn, a soda and a box of licorice during the movie. "He may have to settle for the blonde!" he said in a quiet yell so not everyone look at him like he was a loony. "Drew Barrymore is good," he said wiggling his eyebrows at his friends and Willow had to agree silently, the blonde had been really hot.

"Bronze," Buffy told him. "Settle for the bronze." She looked to Willow and the redhead nodded that Buffy was right, Xander scowled and thought about it. "Val Kilmer is hotter than Mr. Mom what's-his-name, but he wasn't as good for a Batman," Buffy finished.

Willow nodded in agreement. "And the others had darker themes and sets," she told her.

"The Usual Suspects was better," Xander told them, they had seen the movie together a month ago.

Buffy gave him a look. "You just like that he peed on the fire."

Willow giggled at that and Buffy smiled her way. "It was cool," Xander replied walking backward as he faced the two girls.

"It was gross," Willow told him, she didn't care for that much swearing and violence. Xander looked her way. "But- it was smarter than that one we just saw."

Buffy tossed the popcorn container in the trash. "Then I say we patrol, and chalk this one up to a good evening had by all."

"We didn't even talk about what we were going to do for the talent show," Willow reminded them that it was part of the reason they were getting together that evening.

Buffy and Xander grinned at her and Willow went a little pale and scared looking. "You're going to love it Will," Buffy said linking her arm through the redhead's.

"U-usually when someone says that," Willow got out. "I'm not going to- love it."

Buffy smiled as they heard a scream down an alleyway. Buffy went into Slayer mode, her eyes changing from a teenager to a fighter. "You two stay here," she told them as she took off at a quick sprint.

Willow and Xander looked around at the dark night and the few people out on the street. "Witchy magic at the ready Samantha?" Xander asked.

"A little," Willow said not sounding very confident. They looked to each other then ran off after Buffy's wake.

They found the blond Slayer in the midst of four vampires and two girls who were crouched behind a dumpster crying, one was holding her neck. Buffy did a high kick and turned it into a spinning crescent kick at another vampire knocking both of them back.

Xander picked up a three foot long two by four of wood from the garbage in the alley and headed for a vampire as Willow set her sights on another, she centered herself as Jenny had been teaching her. "Incendio," she said pointing to the vampire and orange-ish red light misted about her hand and the vampire caught on fire.

"That's cool," Xander told her as he went in swinging at the other vampire.

Buffy struck the vampire in front of her, her stake in one hand ready to get him as she noticed the one to her left was running around screaming, she couldn't blame him, he was on fire. He stopped as his body started shaking and suddenly burst into ash. This caught her vampire's attention and she roundhoused him to the ground and staked him.

Xander was working his way around his and losing fast. The other was running away so Buffy went to help Xander who had a few bruises on him. "Impedimenta," they heard Willow and saw the running vampire crash to the ground. Buffy hit Xander's vampire hard in the kidneys and ducked from Xander's wild swing with his board.

"My vampire Buffy!" he told her as he aimed for the vampire that was holding his side. "I want to kill him!"

"Picky," Buffy told him as she stopped what she was doing and looked to Willow who had told the girls to hurry home. "Is that one going to stay for a while?" she asked the redhead pointing to the one caught in her spell further down the alleyway. Willow nodded as Xander and the vampire circled each other, the vampire watching the boy's swings but more watching the Slayer and the redhead that set one buddy on fire and stopped the other dead in his tracks.

The vampire got the upper hand and Xander finally cried out for help. Buffy staked the vampire and Xander got up with her help. "Thanks," he told her. "Almost had him."

"You sure did," Buffy said but the look in her eyes at Willow made both of them smile at the tall young man. Buffy dispatched the last vampire who was struggling hard and swore at the blond as she staked him. They headed out of the alleyway making their way down the main street again passing by a bookstore café.

"What's our talent going to be guys?" Willow asked as they crossed the street. The two didn't say anything. "Guys?" she asked in almost a whine.

**oooooooooo**

Giles sat at a secluded table in the bookstore café with a cup of earl grey tea and a few books. "So you come out of your dungeon once in a while I see," a voice said.

Giles looked up at to see Jenny standing in a book aisle with a few books and a coffee and he smiled a little. He found her very attractive and her demeanor was irritating yet refreshing. In essence she was a woman and they were all frustrating, he had two at the moment he worried about quite a bit and for being teenagers it was more so. "Yes quite and you without your computers about you," he said.

Jenny smiled at that. "You going to offer me a seat?" she asked.

Giles stood up quickly and Jenny grinned. "Forgive my manners," he told her as he pulled out a chair.

"You have great manners, English," she told him as she sat. "Most guys wouldn't pull out a chair, they'd just let you sit with them."

"Oh yes," Giles said as he sat back down. "Rude of them, Yanks and all." He looked he way. "How did that book turn out?" he asked. She looked to him curiously. "T-the one for Willow, the spell book."

Jenny smiled at that. "She's too used to wizarding magic," she replied and quieted down when a few customers passed by them to another part of the store. "She didn't set up a circle or candles; she just did it with her will."

"That's very dangerous," Giles replied. "We might both talk with her-," he started.

"That's what I'm doing now, she's learning," Jenny told him with a little bite to it. "She's not going to be perfect at it, not like you."

Giles made an unpleasant face at that. "I assure you, I am nowhere near perfect, but playing with magic on the Hellmouth is like-."

"Summoning a demon you know nothing about," Jenny replied taking a sip of her drink. Giles looked her way stunned, Jenny shrugged. "I've heard about it," she told him.

"Yes, well," he said taking off his glasses and wiping them. "If you need any help."

"I'll ask," Jenny told him but she smiled gratefully at him. "I do appreciate it, Rupert." He smiled her way. "I'm sure it's easier training Buffy," she said.

"Good god no," Giles told her. "She does nothing like what a Slayer is suppose to."

Jenny smiled and he saw she was making small talk and he smiled back and the two talked easily for the next couple of hours.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy was still rubbing her hands on her pants trying to get the feeling of Morgan's brains off of them. Sid the dummy was actually a demon hunter looking for the last of a brotherhood of demons that stuck him in the dummy years ago.

"Does anyone else feel like they've just been Keyser Soze'd?" Xander asked from where they all stood in the library around the computer Willow had been checking Morgan's records out on. The demon had taken his brain but rejected it.

"Sid's good I'm sure of it," Buffy told him and looked to Willow. "Why would the demon reject his brain? He's really smart."

"He is," Willow replied. "Straight A's, he's even taking some college level classes." She stopped and looked at the screen curiously. "Oh," she said quietly and her two friends looked at the redhead then at the screen.

"He's missed half the school year," Buffy said reading what was on it.

"It says, in case of an emergency to contact a doctor at the California Institute of Neurosurgery, Cancer Ward," Willow told them and looked their way.

"Brain cancer?" Xander got out.

"Looks that way," Willow replied. "That's why he had all the headaches."

"Which means he still needs a healthy intelligent brain," Buffy told her.

"In other words, I'm safe!" Xander said happily.

"It's going to be looking for the smartest person around," Buffy said. She and Xander looked to Willow.

"What?" Willow asked.

"What's the square root of 841?" Xander asked.

"Twenty-nine," Willow replied right after he said it then she made a face. "Oh- yeah."

"We won't let anyone get your brain Will," Buffy told her.

They sat around the library for a long while and Buffy got to pacing about. "This is ridiculous!" she told them. "We can't just sit here waiting for it to come to us. We have to figure out who we're dealing with."

"I still vote dummy," Xander said from the chair he was rocking back in.

"We ruled out the people in the talent show," Buffy started.

"That's because they were all there," Willow replied. "Before we found the brain."

Buffy stopped and looked her way. "So it probably is one of them, and it still needs a brain. And Giles doesn't know! He's with them right now!"

"Giles can take care of himself," Xander said. "He's – smart." He got the last word out slowly.

Buffy sprinted out of the library with Xander and Willow following as fast as they could.

They came to the stage to find Marc the magician hacking away at the rope to a trick guillotine and Giles was strapped into it, with just the top of his head where the blade was aimed at. Buffy tackled Marc to the floor and came up sweeping his legs out from underneath him. She stood up ready to fight and doing a fast crescent kick to his face and he went down again.

Xander reached the rope just as it snapped and he held onto it as Giles tried not to watch. "Ewww," Buffy said and Xander looked over and part of Marc's face was demon. Marc hit her almost driving her back into Willow.

"Hurry Will," Xander said. He couldn't let go of the rope and get Giles free at the same time.

Willow rushed over avoiding the fight and began to undo the restraints. "Where are the keys?" she asked Giles.

"Marc's got it," the librarian told her.

Willow finished the last one now only Giles's head was locked in. She looked at the lock and her face became worried. "Aperio…," she stopped and became nervous.

"Anytime now Will!" Xander told her as Buffy knocked the demon back again.

Willow shook her head. "What's Latin for lock?" she asked.

"Obfirmo!" Giles told her frantically. "You have done this spell, yes?" he asked.

Willow pointed to the lock and Giles closed his eyes again cringing. "Obfirmo aperio!" she said. Light flashed from her finger and the lock popped open.

"Oh thank god," Giles said struggling with Willow to get the bar up off his forehead.

Buffy slammed Marc the demon back into his disappearing box and she shut the door. "How do you lock it?" she asked. Now a more fully demon Marc's arm punched through the box and tore his way out. He grabbed Buffy by the neck and slammed her into the wall, pain showing on her face.

Sid came out and jumped on the demon's back stabbing at him with a large chef's knife making the demon let go of Buffy and reach for him. Sid got away as Giles got off the bench and Buffy kicked the demon back into it. It fell over it, its neck at the blade level.

"Let go!" Buffy told him and Xander let the rope go the guillotine slicing its head off.

"I must say, all of you… your time is impeccable," Giles told them shakily.

Sid walked over to the demon and positioned his knife at the demon's chest. "And now the big finish," he told them.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked.

"It's not enough," Sid said his wooden eyes looking her way. "He'll come back. You have to get the heart. Then all of this will be over."

Buffy nodded and held out her hand. "Let me."

"I got it," he replied. "Thanks." He drove the knife into the demon's heart and pulled out to do it again but the dummy body slumped over the demon, he was now a lifeless puppet.

Buffy let out a deep breath sadly and Giles took off his glasses as Buffy lifted Sid up into her arms and started to walk off the stage. "It's over," she told them.

The curtain slid up and everyone stopped. Giles put his glasses back on to see the audience of students, parents and teachers watching them with some weird thing spilling out blood and Buffy with a dummy in her arms. "I don't get it," they heard Snyder say from the audience. "What is it? Avant-garde?"

**oooooooooo**

Jenny Calendar drove up into the Rosenberg's driveway. It was during the talent show when she knew Willow would be at the school. She got out and went up the walkway to the front door and rang the doorbell. There were lights on and she looked around the neighborhood carefully, she had a cross and a bottle of holy water and her talisman. The cross and holy water were courtesy of Rupert.

She looked back to the doorway then rang it again. After a while she went around and began to look into the windows. Jenny pulled a small flashlight out of her purse and looked through the dark windows in the garage, there were two cars, both of them last year models, both with a fine layer of dust on them. They hadn't been driven in a few weeks at least.

Curiously Jenny went around to the back of the house and looked into the kitchen. There were Willow's school books and a dirty bowl, probably from breakfast. She moved on to see a study and beyond that the living room. More books and a computer. Nothing there that showed parents were about. She got curious when Willow would avoid the topic, the girl was not a good liar.

Jenny looked to the second floor and saw that all the lights were out. It was just after eight and no adult would be asleep yet, and with both cars there the probability that they went out for a walk wasn't likely, not in Sunnydale. Which meant the two were gone, not in Sunnydale at all and Willow a fourteen year old was home alone. Jenny shook her head. "Who would abandon their daughter?" she asked as she headed back to her car. She stopped when she saw a set of rocks in the flower beds. She hadn't caught it before, her flashlight did though. Crouching down she looked to the arrangement then she lifted one up and saw markings on it and she frowned and set it back in place. This was not good. She left with no one the wiser.

**oooooooooo**

Willow stood dead center of the stage as the curtain was up and the lights were on her and hundreds of people watched her and her best friends. She hadn't moved in the last three minutes. Buffy told her she could do whatever she wanted and so far, she just stood.

They were almost dressed identically in black pants, shirts and shoes wearing white gloves. They had painted each others faces white with red lips and black eyebrows. Willow's red hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore a cute little black beret. Buffy wore a red beret and Xander had on striped black and white hat that looked like the Cat in the Hat's.

There was French mime music playing and Buffy was miming Snyder's regime over her, apparently there was lots of strangling involved. And Xander… she wasn't sure what Xander was miming but he was enjoying himself, half the time he was doing karate moves and the other half he was playing an air guitar. Willow realized just how crazy her best friends were. If she wasn't so scared she would have smiled.

Giles watched in his seat next to Snyder and they both look to each other. Snyder somewhat regretting their involvement. When the principal looked away Giles tried not to smile. Trust his Slayer to do something completely unexpected.

**oooooooooo**

Harry smiled as Ron held up one of the most horrid pairs of socks he had ever seen in his life. And this was coming from a boy that had grown up with Dudley. "What do you think?" Ron asked.

They were looking for a present for Dobby in Gladrags Wizardwear in Hogsmeade. He, Ron and Hermione were enjoying a more spring like day and it had been very nice. Ginny and Tara had left them to go wandering with the twins to Honeydukes.

"They're hideous," Hermione told them as she came up from the witches section of the store.

"Then they're perfect," Harry said taking them from Ron he went to pay for them. They headed for the Three Broomsticks for lunch; they had a few hours before they went to meet Snuffles.

Tara and Ginny were at a table and the redhead waved them over. Ron let out a sigh of annoyance but Hermione was headed their way. "It's just your sister, Ron," Harry told him.

"She's always nosing in," Ron replied as he followed Harry to the table. "Little sisters can be a right on pain in the arse."

Harry looked his way. "At least you have one." Ron didn't look like that was a consolation. Harry sat down by Tara and Ron slumped down next to him. "Hi," he said to Tara.

Smoky blue eyes looked his way from her veil of blonde hair. "Hi Harry," she replied. She looked at him a little curiously like she wanted to ask him something but kept quiet.

"Hey I hear your seeing a Slytherin git," Ron told her. "Corwin, fifth year."

Ginny looked his way with Hermione. "She is not," Ginny said.

Tara shook her head. "I'm not seeing anyone," she replied.

"S'what I hear," Ron said a little belligerently.

Hermione gave him a displeased look. "Rumors aren't always true, Ron."

He gave her a look. "Like you snoggin' with Vicky?"

Hermione's brown eyes hardened at that and Harry stood. "I'll get something to drink, Ron you can come too."

"I-," he started only to see Harry's face and he stood up. "What?" he asked.

"Leave Hermione be, Ron," Harry whispered to him as they went up to the bar where Rosmerta was.

Ron shook his head. "Vicky can't keep his bloody hands off her."

"Viktor, could pound you into the ground," Harry reminded him. Viktor was double Ron's size and still a little taller than the redheaded boy. "She likes him, she's different than before."

Ron made a disgusted face knowing Harry was right. "Not right it is."

Harry sighed after he ordered five butterbeers and things off the menu for lunch plus extra in a bag to go, Sirius would be hungry. "If you like her then tell her, but she likes Viktor- a lot," he told him.

Ron made another face but helped take the butterbeers back to the table. He slumped down in his seat and drank from his bottle looking pissed. Tara watched him for a long moment and Harry smiled her way. The blonde girl was becoming a good friend, she was always polite and her American accent with the hint of Irish creeping in was pretty. She was going to be beautiful when she grew up, for now her eyes were a little large for her features and she was a little overweight.

Food came and the five teenagers set into their lunch. Harry looked up as Tara reached out for the plate with a few sandwiches remaining her sleeve riding up a little. Along the bottom of her arm near her elbow was a white jagged scar. Tara pulled her sleeve down over it as Harry looked her way. He said nothing but chewed slowly looking more thoughtful.

Harry, Hermione and Ron had gone out into the countryside of Hogsmeade leaving Ginny and Tara to make their way back to Hogwarts. They found a big black dog waiting for them at the foot of a small mountain. They followed him up for a long while then into a cave where Buckbeak was tethered.

Sirius changed into his human form. His clothing was better and he looked a little better than the last time Harry and Hermione had seen him leaving Hogwarts on Buckbeak. He smiled at the food Harry had brought and sat down with old Daily Prophets and began to eat hungrily.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

Sirius looked up at him as he chewed around a mouthful of chicken. "Fulfilling my duties as your godfather," he told him. That and the American aurors were looking for him now. He looked to Harry and wondered when Dumbledore would feel the time was right to tell him about his sister.

**To Be Continued…**


	11. Chapter 11

There was an earthquake in Sunnydale. Not that it was a big deal in California; there were little ones every so often. Only this was different, it was big and it was a sign.

A sign that Buffy was going to die.

Willow looked to her best friend as she curled up by her on Buffy's bed watching a movie on the TV in her room. Buffy had showered and changed out of her prom dress and was in pajamas and a robe, Willow had done the same thing earlier borrowing some of Buffy's clothes for the night. Light flashed softly over their faces from the TV as Buffy laid her cheek on Willow's shoulder and she held the redhead's hand firmly.

Buffy had died… and come back.

**oooooooooo**

**Earlier that Day…**

Willow walked down the steps from the second floor into the main foyer of the Sunnydale High with her mortal enemy Cordelia Chase. Why in the world had she told her she'd help with the audio visuals for the prom? She wasn't even going to it. She looked at Cordelia's butt, again… from the trip at the Bronze to here she wasn't really listening to her she was watching. Part of it had to be that Cordelia wasn't being mean to her because Cordelia needed a favor. After that she would probably be mean again.

Masochist.

Willow smiled a little at that thought. It was the end of the school year, the end of her freshman year and she was graduating with a solid 4.0. Not like it was a problem, most of the classes she was taking this year were junior and senior level courses. She also had a few computer programs she had developed out with her hacker friends to see what they thought.

Now the boys hadn't shown up with what they needed for the dance and Cordelia had dragged Willow to the school to get them. They reached the audio-visual room and there the boys sat on the couch watching TV. "I can't believe it, they're watching cartoons," Cordelia said. "That's so cu-, wait, that's not cute. That's annoying, I'm annoyed."

Willow looked her way. "Right, I'm furious," she replied not sounding anything like it at all.

"Men, I don't know why we put up with them," Cordelia said folding her arms and going into a little pout.

"I hear ya," Willow replied with a small roll of her eyes.

"Obliviously Kevin has underestimated the power of my icy stare," Cordelia said opening the door to the room. Kevin was sitting against the inside of the door and felt out landing on the floor with a thunk. He was very dead with two fang marks in his neck dried blood pooled to the neck of his shirt.

Cordelia screamed as Willow went still, her eyes somber as she carefully walked into the room to see five boys scattered about. Two on the couch sitting there, from behind it looked like they were watching the TV. But the vacant stare of unseeing eyes and blood on them showed otherwise. Two more on the floor, it looked like they had fought. Blood covered the floor and walls and the large coffee table was smashed. Willow looked over to see a small handprint in blood on the TV and her heart felt so numb.

Cordelia looked to her as she stroked Kevin's hair back a little, tears running down her cheeks as Willow stepped out of the room and headed down the hallway. "Willow! Where are you going?" She saw her turn the corner. "Don't leave me!" She hurried after her to see Willow at a pay phone dialing.

"Yes, this is Willow Rosenberg, I'm at Sunnydale High School," she got out. Cordelia watched her as she wiped the tears away. Willow sounded hollow. "There's been a murder- murders," she corrected herself.

It was a blur after that. Police, Fire, EMT's and reporters all swarmed the High school. Cordelia answered most of the questions as Willow sat there with a blanket around her. A fireman had seen she was in shock and tucked it around her. Cordelia had one but it was on her lap she was going on and on about what she saw and how gross it was and how this was going to make her go to a therapist for the next twenty years.

Willow blinked once, then slowly again as she listened. She stood up and everyone watched her. "They're dead, my friends are dead," she said to Cordelia. "Your friends are dead and you want yourself on the ten o'clock news." She didn't sound mad, she sounded profoundly sad and she left just walking out of the school.

Cordelia watched her go and she looked to the police officers and the news crews out in the parking lot, who had been listening to it all and something in her eyes changed as she watched Willow go.

Willow left and there were floodlights on her and she winced away as pictures were taken. "That's enough," a firm female voice said and the flashes stopped. Willow felt an arm about her shoulder. "I'll take you home, Willow." Willow looked to see it was Agent Coltrane.

The agent settled her in the passenger seat and left for a moment to return with Cordelia and put her in the back seat. Cordelia looked to Willow who was just staring out the window. "Where do you live Miss Chase?" Agent Coltrane asked as she put the car into drive.

"409 Falstaff," Cordelia told her. "Who are you again?"

"I work for the state," Agent Coltrane told her. They drove in silence for a long while until she pulled up in front of a large rich house and Cordelia got out. Agent Coltrane looked to Willow. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Willow didn't move.

Agent Coltrane returned with a look of dislike on her face as she watched Mr. Chase close the door to his house. "Stupid man," she muttered under her breath. She backed out and headed for Willow's home. "Would you like to talk?" she asked the redhead. Willow shook her head. It was another silent trip to the Rosenberg's. Jenny's car was parked in the driveway and the worried teacher was pacing back and forth peering into the windows to see if she could see someone.

The two got out of the car and Jenny came towards them looking relieved. "I saw the news," she told Willow. Tears welled up in Willow's eyes and she put her arms about Jenny's waist and began to cry into her shoulder. Jenny looked a little shocked at this but wrapped her arms about the girl.

"You are?" Agent Coltrane asked.

"Jennifer Calendar," Jenny told her. "I'm one of Willow's teachers- and her friend."

Agent Coltrane nodded at this. "No one answered?" she said nodding her chin towards the house.

Jenny shook her head. "I think they're out of town, that's why I came. I don't want her to be alone." She looked the woman over. "Who are you?"

Agent Coltrane pulled out her ID. "I'm with social services," she replied.

Jenny looked at it carefully then handed it back. Willow was down to just sobs now. "I'll sit with her," Jenny told her.

Agent Coltrane looked less than pleased but nodded. This was going to be a big stinking mess. "Let's go in." She looked to Willow. "Do you have a key?"

Willow nodded and handed it over and they went inside. Jenny sat Willow down on the couch and got her some water. Willow drank half of it as tears came again. It reminded her so much of Jesse, all the kids she now fully understood the reason why they were gone, the monsters. She knew why so many of them lived that probably wouldn't of, including her, Buffy.

Willow took a long shower and changed into her pajamas, she wasn't going anywhere tonight, and she had picked out her softest cotton bottoms with little pink sheeps on them and a long sleeved pink t shirt for the top. She looked up as Jenny came into her bedroom.

"Agent Coltrane just left," she said sitting on the side of her bed. "She's not happy."

Who was nowadays? Willow wondered.

Jenny watched her. "Where are your parents, Willow?"

Willow shook her head and looked to the window as night was coming, she knew the monsters that did these things to her friends were coming back, at the moment she really didn't care where her parents were. A part of her was very grateful that Jenny was there for her.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy came into Willow's bedroom wearing a black jacket over a really pretty white prom dress, her hair done up, she looked wonderful, she looked different. Tears escaped from Willow's eyes as she brushed them back. Buffy looked concerned now that she knew what had happened at the school.

"I thought I could handle anything Buffy," Willow told her. "But… this was different."

"It'll be alright," Buffy assured her.

Willow shook her head as the tears welled up again. "I'm trying to think of how to say it… so you'll understand," she said.

Buffy touched Willow foot from where she sat on the bed. "As long as you're okay-," she started.

"That it, I'm not okay," Willow told her. "I knew those guys; I go to that room everyday. And when I walked in there-," she paused as she swallowed back some of the tears, "it- it wasn't our world anymore. They made it theirs and they had fun." She wiped the new tears away. "Even with all my magic I couldn't save them," she whispered as she wrapped her arms about her knees tighter. "What are we going to do?" she asked her best friend.

"What we have to," Buffy replied as she stood. "Promise me you'll stay in tonight, okay?" she asked.

Willow watched as the look in Buffy's eyes became resigned. To what, Willow didn't know. Buffy headed for the door. "Buffy?" Willow said and her friend looked back at her and Willow gave her a watery smile. "I like your dress."

Buffy looked down at herself then back at her and smiled but it never reached her eyes. "Take care," she said with a finality and she left.

Ms. Calendar had gone and there was someone Buffy had never seen before on the couch watching TV in the Rosenberg's living room. She had heard about it, social services finally learned that the Rosenberg's had just left, apparently for another conference somewhere back east, but they had yet to be found. Buffy headed down the driveway never seeing Willow watching her from her bedroom window.

Willow went to her closet and began to shuck off her pajamas and put on pants and a t shirt as she went to the phone watching the doorway. Ms. Calendar – Jenny had gotten a phone call from Giles a while ago and had to leave in sort of a rush which made her curious, now Buffy was not acting her usual 'we're going to get the bad guy' way. Something was wrong. Something was so wrong Buffy told her to stay inside.

Willow dialed Xander's number and listened for it to ring. "Silencio," she whispered and cast it at the door of her room. She knew it was social services, she knew her parents were in trouble, she was in trouble because of it. Until she saw Buffy's face she hadn't cared about much of anything, now she did.

**oooooooooo**

Willow winced as she opened the back door to her house wondering if the woman in the living room had heard the squeak coming from it. She had glanced in and seen her watching TV and carefully went out the back. She wasn't sure what would happen if they found her gone but Buffy was more important. She took a moment in climbing the fence in her backyard grateful the neighbors didn't have a dog. She snuck through the dark there and hurried down their driveway and out to where she saw Xander pacing worriedly.

"What's going on, Will?" Xander asked as they walked in a brisk pace to the school.

"I'm not sure," Willow told him. "Buffy came and acted all weird, Jenny too."

Xander stopped her. "I mean with you? Why couldn't I come to your house and what's all this 'murder' stuff at the school?" he asked her.

Willow grasped his hand. "I'll tell you on the way."

By the time they reached the school Xander was in shock. "So let me get this straight," Xander said as they went up the steps. "Vampires killed some of the guys in the AV room, Cordelia acted like the bitch she is, Buffy's acting weird, social services found out your parents are gone again and is taking over because of what happened at school."

"At least as far as I can tell," Willow told him as they went inside. "So now we have to find Buffy and see what's going on."

"Why here instead of her house?" Xander asked as they walked for the library. All the cops and that were gone leaving the school empty.

"It was the way she talked- or didn't talk, she told me to stay inside and there was no, you know, 'I'm gonna get that bad guy' in the Buffy sort of way," Willow babbled a little. "She was all – 'you stay inside' and she left, no plan, no nothing." They opened the doors to see Giles and Jenny looking over books frantically. "And that could be a clue."

Xander nodded. "I'm thinking yes to that," he said in agreement.

Giles and Jenny looked up from their books to see the two teenagers coming in. "What's going on?" Jenny asked before Giles could say anything. "What happened to Social Services?"

"Will skipped out, you know, with the murders and Buffy acting weird," Xander said looking at Giles. "Why is Buffy acting weird?"

Giles took off his glasses and Willow sat down hard in a chair by the table. "That's not a good sign," Willow said softly.

"No- no, I suppose it's not," Giles told them. He looked thoughtful and Jenny sighed.

"Just tell them," Jenny said.

"Tell us what?" Xander asked.

Giles took in a breath and looked to them. "There's a prophecy which involves the Slayer of the current time."

"Which would be Buffy," Willow said.

Giles gave her a little nod. "It tells that she'll face the Master."

"The one that's been causing all the grief since she came to Sunnydale," Xander said. "So she fights him, wins, and we all go to the prom." He made a face at that, Buffy turned him down for the prom.

"It's not that simple I'm afraid," Giles said putting his glasses on. "It says that she is destined to die."

The two teens stared at him for a long moment. "She what?" Xander asked.

"I told you there was something going on with her," Willow said to him as she felt ill.

"And Buffy knew of this prophecy of yours?" Xander asked Giles. The librarian nodded. "Aw man, what do we do?"

"Stay calm for now," Giles said.

Willow rested her head on her arms on the table. She felt the tears well up. Why hadn't Buffy trusted her? She could help, she had magic, her best friend had left to go and die. How messed up was that?

"Maybe that's all good for you Locutus of the Borg, but I'm freaked out and I intend to stay that way," Xander was saying hotly to Giles. "How could you let her go?"

Giles gave him a glare and touched his jaw. "As the soon-to-be-purple area of my jaw will attest, I did _not_ let her go!" he told the young man firmly.

Willow felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Jenny there. "What can we do? How can we save Buffy?" Willow asked.

"Not to mention an apocalypse to worry about," Jenny said looking to Giles.

"I don't care about an apocalypse," Xander said getting more freaked by the minute. "I care about Buffy. Will's got the magic-," he started.

"She does, but the Master feeding on a Slayer and a witch- if Willow were caught it would be more frightening than I care to imagine, and I don't know where Buffy's gone," Giles replied.

"Fine, Will can stay here, study or something," Xander said a little glad one of his friends would be safe. "I'm going to find her."

Willow stood up. "I can do this, there's no prophecy about the Master sucking my blood – or yours, you have nice blood," she told her friend.

Xander smiled a little at that. "I'll find her, I'll find out," he told them and hurried out before anyone could say anything else.

"I can," Willow restated it to the adults as she slowly sat back down. "I can go into whatever Buffy's into." Not that she really wanted to, but she would for Buffy.

"Helping us research will be a tremendous help, Willow," Giles told her.

Willow looked up to him. "What if I can save her? I couldn't save my other friends today. Maybe I can save her."

Giles sighed as he set a few books down in front of her. "We're going to have to leave that to Xander, knowing his determination he'll give it the best try he can. For now, I need your help desperately." Willow looked to him then over to Jenny who smiled her way but didn't say anything, it was Willow choice. She nodded and Giles smiled at that. "Good," he told her.

**oooooooooo**

Willow ran behind Jenny has they headed for her car. They still didn't know where the Hellmouth was, that was their studying in the library and where they had left Giles to keep searching. But they had to warn people at the prom about an army of vampires coming to work under the reign of the Master. The vampires would need blood and the Bronze would be a big draw tonight.

"What do we do if they get to the Bronze before we do?" Willow asked as she looked behind her to see if anything was coming.

Jenny had her keys out and she looked up and stopped in her tracks. "We don't need to worry about that," she replied.

"Why not?" Willow asked as she caught up to her and she saw why. There were dozens of vampires coming their way. They both turned around and saw dozens more coming up from behind them, they were surrounded.

"They're not going to the Bronze," Jenny said as Willow backed up right next to her. "Why are they coming here?"

"Not caring!" Willow said as she pointing to a vampire that was coming awfully close. "Incendio!" she said. It was engulfed in flames and the others watched her warily but they didn't back off, two to two dozen seemed overwhelming.

Willow was getting ready to cast another spell when a car screeched up behind them plowing over four vampires and knocking another two out of the way. The driver's window was rolled down, it was Cordelia. "Get in!" she told them. Jenny and Willow didn't argue as they piled inside. "I was sitting there where Kevin and I used to park and all the sudden these things were coming at me!" she told them clenching the steering wheel hard.

"How did you get a car?" Jenny asked.

"Oh please, I've been driving since I was twelve," Cordelia told her.

"We need to get to the library!" Willow told them from the back seat the vampires had gotten over their shock and were running for the car.

"Library! Great!" Cordelia said as she shifted the gears like a pro and wheeling the car around yanking one vampire from off the hood and taking three more out by driving over them. There were more vampires coming.

Willow watched in horror as Cordelia aimed the car for the doors to the school. "Of course, we generally walk there!" she told the brunette and closed her eyes as Cordelia took the car through the doors and raced on down the hallway and slid to a stop right in front of the library.

The three got out Cordelia and Willow screaming as they almost ran into Giles who was coming to see what in the world was going on. "What's happening?" he asked as they pushed him back in as Vampires began to swarm over the car towards them. No one noticed the greenish gray tentacles that came up out of a crack in the floor underneath the center table behind them.

"Guess!" Jenny said as they held the doors closed and Giles began to pull the card cabinet over to block it. Arms punched through the windows and Willow grabbed a sign post and hit it with it.

Giles was pulling the copier over. "Why are they coming here?" he asked over the noise. He looked back as he moved it in front of the doors when he heard glass breaking. "They're coming through the stacks!" he told them.

Jenny grabbed Willow. "C'mon!" she said. They ran up the stairs and to the French doors that led to the stacks. "The bookcases!" she told the redhead and they began to move empty ones to block the doors.

There was another crash to the side. "My office!" Giles said running for it.

"Some help here!" Cordelia said holding the front door all by herself.

Willow and Jenny braced the bookshelves against the vampires that were pushing against them. "You remember what we talked about?" Jenny asked her and Willow looked her way. Willow did, she always panicked when it came to fighting the bad guys, she didn't want to do that anymore which was why Jenny was working with her mostly on centering and focus.

"We aren't getting out of here are we?" Willow asked.

"Unless there's a miracle," Jenny said.

Willow screamed as a tentacle grabbed her ankle and yanked her off her feet sliding her towards the railing to the stairs. Jenny let the bookshelves go and grabbed for Willow. "Rupert!" she screamed out for help. "Giles!"

Giles came out to see a multi-headed demon burst through the floor. "The Hellmouth!" he exclaimed backing up a little bit. Cordelia was just stunned into silence seeing what she was seeing.

"Diffindo!" Willow said pointing at the tentacle around her ankle and the demon screamed as the spell tore through it and she was free. Jenny and Willow stood up. "Impedimenta!" Willow got out. The demon snapped her way seeing that she was the biggest danger to it. "Petrificus totalus!" she tried again. The demon still moved.

"It didn't work!" Willow said as Jenny pulled her out of the way.

"You're taking on the first thing out of the Hellmouth!" Jenny said covering them from glass that was breaking as tentacles lashed out for them. "You can't just use _your_ magic to take on something like that," the teacher told her. "You have to use what got rid of it! The Earth!"

Willow looked confused. "How? You said witches can't use it!" She had never tried that before, it was one or the other and the other one didn't turn out so good.

"You can feel your magic in you; you have to pull the magic from what's around you! Focus, center and bend it to your will!" Jenny told her as the demon moved again. Giles had an axe and was attacking it. Cordelia bit a vampire's arm.

"Bend it to what?" Willow asked loudly over the chaos about her. "What am I trying to do?" She screamed as two bookcases fell over them, Jenny took the brunt of it covering Willow from it.

"Close it," Jenny said, pain washing through her voice. They got themselves out and Willow calmed herself as much as she could then stood up and faced the demon. Jenny watched from where she sat against the wall, her back was killing her.

Willow closed her eyes and felt for it. Jenny had showed her once, the power that ran through the earth. Magic that went untouched except by the very few, she had been afraid to touch it. "You have to open up to it," she heard Jenny said from behind her.

Willow opened her eyes and let it in and it tore through her body forcing her to take in a gasp of breath.

**oooooooooo**

Thousands of miles away Harry Potter opened his eyes from his sleep high up in the Gryffindor tower, he felt something, magic pulling at him. He felt his forehead, it didn't hurt, it wasn't Voldemort. He didn't know where this was from but he knew whatever was happening was important to him.

Down in the Hufflepuff rooms Tara McClay woke at the same time and listened with her magic. She curled up into her heavy blanket her eyes unfocused, the pull of magic coming to her as well.

**oooooooooo**

The demon from the Hellmouth screamed at Willow and she felt something very evil above her. She rose up a little off the ground as she looked up to see a hideous face looking through the skylight at her. She looked back to the demon and let the magic fill her and she thought of the Hellmouth. She didn't know what it looked like or how to actually close it, she only knew that if she was going to help save anyone, it needed to be closed. She set her mind and her eyes began to glow white and her hair turned a deeper red. Her will bent against the power of the Hellmouth.

Giles had stopped hacking with his axe to watch the girl and Cordelia was more stunned to see little, mousy, ill-dressed Willow looking like she was from that weird movie 'The Craft'.

"Is that normal?" Cordelia asked Giles.

Giles couldn't answer as one of the heads from the demon knocked Giles back into the table crushing it under the blow; half of the table tipped and a jagged point was facing upward. The demon head came after Giles and he scrambled back to get away from it. As it reached for him he felt himself moving fast back to the wall, Willow had moved him with magic. The demon turned back to face the slight glowing figure of Willow Rosenberg.

**oooooooooo**

The Master clapped happily watching through the skylight on the roof of the school when the demon erupted out of the Hellmouth. The humans were running around like chickens with their heads cut off as usual. He looked down below and saw that one human was a witch. His eyes went wide when he felt the power that ran through her, her blood would fill him completely. He watched as she began to will the Hellmouth closed and his happiness was leaving quickly.

"Come forth my child," he told the demon. "Come to my world and bring me that witch."

"I don't think it's yours just yet," he heard the Slayer say from behind him and he turned to look at her in surprise. Her hair was wet and she had his fang marks in her neck but she was very much alive. "The world, or the witch," she finished.

"You're dead!" he demanded.

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you," she quipped at him.

The Master couldn't believe this. "You were destined to die! It was written!"

Buffy shrugged. "What can I say? I flunked the written."

The Master reached out his hand again to her, his eyes intent on bringing her under his control again. "Come here," he commanded her. Buffy slowly did his will coming close enough to let him grasp her neck. "Did you really think you could best me here when you couldn't below?" he asked condescendingly as he let go of her neck.

Buffy's head tilted just a little as she looked to him. "You have fruit punch mouth," she told him.

"What?" he asked not understanding.

Buffy put a hard fist into his mouth and he fell down. "Save the hypnosis crap for the tourists," she told him.

He got up but she was waiting as she turned to do a swinging roundhouse kick that caught him right in the face. He reached out for her but she moved back, his fingernails sliced across her upper chest drawing blood. Buffy looked down at this then up at him, her eyes were mad. She punched him in the kidneys but he backhanded her in the jaw. She tried striking at him again but he blocked her and caught her in the face flinging her back into the wall behind her.

The Master was ready for her when she got back up but instead of hitting out at him she launched herself up into a front tuck over his head landing behind him with her between him and the skylight. She caught him in the side with a side snap kick but he turned with the force of it and grabbed her neck again, this time hard.

"Where are your jibes now?" he asked angrily.

Buffy looked down through the skylight for the first time to see some icky green thing writhing around, Willow about a foot in the air and there was light about her and most of the others were watching all of this. More importantly to her was what was on the floor.

"Will you laugh when my Hell is on Earth?" he asked her.

Buffy grabbed his neck and the Master felt her strength, so much more than a short while ago below, she had power. "You're that amped about Hell?" she asked darkly and lifted the vampire off his feet making him scared for the first time in centuries. "Go there," she finished angrily as she flipped him over her shoulder and sent him crashing through the skylight.

He cried out as he fell through the air and landed on the jagged table edge that was sticking up; impaled through the chest it almost severed him in two. He screamed as his flesh began to turn to dust. For an ancient vampire as him it seemed to turn to darkness and disappear leaving only his skeleton.

There was a flash of light, the demon was gone and the Hellmouth closed at the Master's death. Willow cried out as the magic lashed back at her the connection broken and black invading her light. She was slammed against the wall and halfway out of the window then fell forward to the floor unconscious.

**oooooooooo**

It has stopped. Harry felt the pull go away, jerked away more like it and a little lash of pain came through to him. That was strange. He decided to mention it to Professor Dumbledore in the morning. Hopefully it wasn't something bad.

Tara closed her eyes went the pull stopped. She swallowed hard as a tear made it from her lashes and coursed down her cheek to the pillow.

**oooooooooo**

Cordelia came over to where all the destruction had happened; the vampires had fled with the death of the Master. Giles was picking himself up as Jenny grimaced in pain crawling over to where Willow was. "What the hell was that?" Cordelia asked.

"Not now Cordelia," Giles said going up the stairs to check on the two women.

Xander, Angel and Buffy came into the library as Willow woke up. "Willow!" Xander called out as he ran to where she was.

"Are you okay Willow?" Giles asked.

Willow coughed out little puffs of darkness as she sat up. Xander and Giles helped her to sit back against the wall as Buffy came up and knelt down in front of her friend. "You're alive," Willow said tiredly. Her body felt like it had been run through an electrical circuit and her body shook a little from it, like tremors.

"So are you," Buffy replied.

"You could have told me," Willow got out softly. "I could have helped." Tears came to her eyes now. "You're my friend, friends help."

Buffy looked sad. "And friends don't let friends get killed because of their own death prophecy." She touched Willow's bruised ankle from the tentacle that had wrapped around it. "Who wants to admit they're going to die?"

"I still don't get what's going on," Cordelia said from behind them.

Buffy and Willow smiled at each other, trust Cordelia to make it a focus on herself. "Buffy?" Giles asked.

Buffy looked to her Watcher. "Sorry, it's been a really weird day," she told him with a short smile.

"She died and everything," Xander said looking at his two best friends.

"Buffy died?" Cordelia said coming up and sitting on the stair. "She doesn't look dead." She gave Buffy a look. "Not that I would want you dead."

Buffy rolled her eyes and stood up. "So Hellmouth closed, vampires gone, Master dead," she said as she and Xander helped Willow up and Giles was supporting Jenny. They all looked at the skeleton still impaled on the end of the table.

"It's all good," Xander told them.

"That's the Hellmouth?" Cordelia said then looked at them. "You brought me to the Hellmouth?"

"We didn't exactly know it was there," Giles said firmly to her.

"What do we do now?" Jenny asked.

"There's a party at the Bronze," Xander said with a smile.

"Yeah!" Cordelia said happily. "The prom!"

Willow shook her head. "I'm tired; I wouldn't be surprised if Agent Coltrane has started looking for me already."

"Why don't you stay at my place, Will?" Buffy told her. She wasn't really tired but her heart was not in party mode.

"What about him?" Jenny asked as they headed for the door. She motioned to the remains of the Master.

"He isn't going anywhere. Loser," Buffy said as they headed out. Cordelia was backing her car out of the school. No one knew how that was going to be explained along with the damage in the library itself.

"I could come with you guys," Xander told Buffy.

"You could, but you deserve to party," Buffy said as she held Willow up. The girl really was exhausted. "And Cordelia might even be nice to you. We could do something tomorrow, last days of school and that before I head to L.A. for the summer." Xander nodded a little as they came outside to the night air.

"Prophecy done and over with," Angel told Buffy.

Buffy smiled at that. "And I'm here to talk about it, even if I was dead for a few minutes."

Giles helped Jenny into his car. Xander got in with Cordelia so it was the three of them left on the walk and Willow wasn't really focusing on anything. Angel smiled at Buffy. "By the way, I like your dress," he told her.

Buffy made a face. "Yeah, yeah, big hit with everyone."

Angel gave her a small wave and was gone. Between her and Giles they got Willow in the back seat and the redhead was out with her head on Buffy's lap.

Giles looked at her in the rearview mirror and their eyes met. "I should have known that wouldn't stop you," he told her proudly.

She smiled at that as tears came again. "Sorry about your face," she replied.

He shook his head a little and their eyes lost contact as he looked to the road again. He wasn't angry and she knew it. Jenny looked back at them. "I'm glad you made it Buffy," the teacher told her.

Buffy smiled at that as she stroked Willow's soft red hair. "I am too," she whispered.

**oooooooooo**

Joyce Summers watched as Willow curled up against the headboard looking exhausted as she watched the TV Buffy had brought in, Buffy asked if Willow could sleep over and Joyce approved. The redhead had taken a shower and borrowed some of Buffy's clothes for the night. Buffy was in the shower at the moment and had a few scratches on her. What in the world were those two up to?

Joyce knew of kids whose parents weren't there and they got into things. That's why she was determined to watch over Buffy so firmly. Her daughter wasn't going to be some drug using-sexaholic-nothing before or after high school was over. Willow was a good friend to her daughter, straight A's, kind, shy and always courteous. The redhead was changing, not for the worse. She insisted on dragging Buffy through with passing grades and she never did anything inappropriate. But there was something about her Joyce couldn't put her finger on. She figured part of it had to do with no parents around. She sighed at another thought; Buffy with no parents around would be a disaster.

There was a knock at the door and Joyce went downstairs and opened it to see Agent Coltrane standing there. "Mrs. Summers, Willow is here?" she asked.

Joyce nodded and came outside with her so the girls couldn't hear their conversation. "She is, Buffy asked if she could sleep over," Joyce told her and the agent didn't look too pleased. "I would be willing to take Willow in until this is straightened out," Joyce told her. "I'm sure this has to be hard on her and she and Buffy are close."

"You want another teenager on your hands?" Agent Coltrane asked.

Joyce smiled at that. "Willow acts more mature than most adults I know," she replied. "She wouldn't be a problem and I don't think she'd mind staying here."

Agent Coltrane sighed then nodded knowing this was a rare opportunity when someone would take a daughter's friend into their home. "Okay, until I get things cleared away."

"Is there any news about her parents?" Joyce asked.

The Agent shook her head. "They were supposed to be at a conference in Florida. They got on the plane, made it to Miami but never went to the conference and there's no sign of a car rental, hotel booking… It's like they disappeared off the face of the earth."

"What about the rest of Willow's family?" Joyce asked.

"They all live back east and so far we haven't been able to contact any of them," the Agent told her. It was almost as if they didn't want anything to do with their niece/cousin/granddaughter. "I'll be in touch in a few days," she told Joyce. "And thank you, I don't think she would do well stuck in juvenile."

Joyce nodded and watched her leave and she sighed as she went back inside. The shower was off and she could hear soft talking of the two girls and there was a chuckle from Buffy. She smiled a little. Having Willow around wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy didn't sleep that night. She had seen it, a white light and a warmth she'd never known before. It was heaven; she had been in heaven if only for a brief time. She looked to Willow who had fallen asleep after the first five minutes of the movie. The redhead was tucked against her shoulder. Whoever said that a Slayer didn't need friends to survive was dead wrong. Willow had faced off against the Hellmouth. Shy, brainy, magicky Willow. Buffy settled back a little. If she hadn't of killed the Master she would have bet on Willow to win. She smiled at that as she watched the morning light come through the window. The first day of her second life was already starting to look good.

**To Be Continued…**


	12. Chapter 12

**June 24, 1995**

**Sunnydale, California – Morning**

It was just after seven when Willow woke up. She could hear Mrs. Summers, Joyce as the woman asked her to call her was moving around getting ready for her work day. Willow was in Buffy's room where Buffy had told her she could stay while she was gone to her dad's for the summer. After that, if social services still wasn't sure what they were going to do with her then they would fix up the storage room down the hall into a bedroom for her. Her house had been sealed up, but she could go over there if she needed something, she just wasn't allowed to live at home alone anymore. Xander had offered to move in with her, Joyce and Agent Coltrane both frowned at that. They didn't realize that Xander thought of Willow as a sister and only a sister.

She had to go to counseling with a state psychiatrist over it as well. That had been boring since she really couldn't tell him much of anything after a while. How do you explain that you're a witch, your best friend is a slayer and you're helping her guard the Hellmouth with a watcher and a souled vampire? Other than that it was about school and her parents. Joyce had insisted she go and even drove her there. Her parents hadn't taken her anywhere or cared for a couple of years.

Willow got up and combed her long hair back. She changed into her clothes and came out to see Joyce looking through something in a huge box. Joyce looked up and smiled her way. "Good morning," she told her.

"Good morning," Willow replied. "Can I help with anything?" she asked. She tried to make breakfast to help out but her limit was toast and cereal.

Joyce shook her head. "There's some breakfast downstairs. I'm off to the gallery; you could come if you like."

Willow had a few times and Joyce had been impressed with Willow's knowledge of art. Not that it was amazing, but she knew who Picasso, Rembrandt and Monet were. Buffy didn't care unless it was of a young man from the latest movie. "If you need me to, but I was going to help Giles and Xander and I were going to do something later," Willow said then stopped. "If that's okay?"

Joyce chuckled at that as she rested her arms across the top of the box. "That's fine, but if you're going anywhere else call me at the gallery and make sure you have your key for home," she told her.

Willow nodded at that and went down the stairs and into the kitchen. Willow had to admit, Buffy's mom was the coolest mom she knew. She found toast, eggs and orange juice on the counter. Unlike Buffy's dry toast and juice Willow actually ate well, but then she never really put on weight. She ate some of her eggs as she took up one of her books she had left on the kitchen table and began to read as Joyce came in.

"You read Physics for fun?" Joyce asked as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"Oh, well," Willow said setting it down. "I'm taking mostly AP classes next year," Willow started softly. "It wouldn't hurt to get a start on them."

Joyce smiled at this. "I do hope you rub off on Buffy," she said knowing that Buffy's B- average for the year was Willow's doing. "But it is summer, you should have fun."

Willow nodded. "Xander and I usually go and hang out a lot. And I'm helping Giles with his books once the library is ready and-," she stopped.

"You hang out with Ms. Calendar too, I know," Joyce told her, "she called me." She finished her juice and put the glass in the sink. "Buffy thinks they might be an item, Ms. Calendar and Mr. Giles."

Willow smiled. "Buffy knows things."

Joyce smiled at that. "I do have to give my daughter credit, she does have fashion sense and she knows people." Willow agreed silently to that. "Have a fun day and remember to call," Joyce told her. It wasn't long before she left and Willow was alone in the Summers's house. She had been there almost a month and it still felt like she was sleeping over.

She cleaned up the kitchen and headed upstairs for her jacket and keys. She kept everything witchy at Jenny's now, Joyce didn't know about stuff like that and apparently it was better if she didn't. She left locking the door behind her and headed for Giles's. Jenny would be there and helping with books. She thought Buffy was right too, Giles and Jenny had a thing. She was pretty sure Jenny knew it but she wasn't sure about Giles yet.

**oooooooooo**

"Ummm," Cordelia hummed as she kissed Xander outside the Mini-Mart down the street from the mall. It was early in the morning and she was headed for cheerleading practice when she saw Xander headed down the street.

It had happened, her falling for the King of all nerds at the prom. She had driven him to the Bronze expecting to lose him when they hit the crowds but she found it was comforting being at his side. The things she had seen that night, the things she now knew and none of the morons dancing about knew anything about it. How stupid were people?

Xander sat down on one of the couches and she just sat right by him. Neither of them danced and finally he said he was going to leave, it was boring. He was surprised to see her go with him. They made it outside and then it happened. He kissed her and wow! What an amazing kiss, her whole body felt it. Not even Kevin who had died earlier that day could kiss like that. She drove him home and they made out in the car for a while then she went home.

She couldn't believe what she had done the next day at school and told him off, meanly. He looked shocked then hurt, then really mad and they argued and they made out again when no one was looking, the janitor's closet worked well for that. For some reason when they felt the need to slap each other it made them horny. They warned each other from telling the other's friends and then they'd go on their own way.

Now it was summer vacation and she had Xander up against the dirty wall outside this gas station away from the road in a secluded spot and they were French kissing. She grabbed his hand from her butt. "You are so not privileged to go there yet, geek boy," she warned him.

"I'm the one being molested," he shot back. "I would think it was a privilege."

They kissed fiercer and his hand found her butt again he squeezed it and she slapped him. "Watch the hands," she told him. He glared at her and she kissed him once more quite roughly then let go and headed for her car.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I have cheerleading practice," she called back.

"So what? I'm some kinda prostitute now?" he yelled at her.

"Prostitutes get paid," she said angrily.

"You know, I hate you!" Xander yelled louder.

"I hate you more!" she replied just as loud as she got in her car and slammed the door shut and drove off. She hated him so much she wanted to kiss him again. She watched in her rearview mirror as the tall boy hunched his shoulders at the rejection and sulked off down the street.

**oooooooooo**

Willow looked over the herb garden in Jenny's backyard. It wasn't big but almost all of it was filled with herbs of some kind and Jenny had them stock piled in the basement. Apparently she shipped them back east, she told Willow it was a family thing that she had just gotten use to. A family that grew, dried, and sold witchy herbs together? That was weird.

Jenny had been at Giles and they had helped out for an hour or so until Jenny told her they could go work on wiccan things, Giles waved them off and Jenny drove them to her place. Willow had talked with her about what happened with her magic and the Hellmouth. Jenny nor Giles were really sure, but Willow had been so weak after it that she hadn't done any magic for almost a month. Along with living at the Summers and having her parents just disappear the last month had been a 'curl up in bed and not think' type month.

Jenny came out with two glasses of iced tea and sat down beside her on the ground and handed one over to her. "How's it going with Mrs. Summers?" she asked.

Willow nodded. "She's really nice," she told her as she took a sip. "But it's weird being there without Buffy."

Jenny watched her. "You know that you may have to move back east."

Willow nodded again as she looked to her drink. "Don't you think it's odd?" Willow asked looking her way. "That none of them have even tried to contact me or look for my parents?" She glanced her way for a moment then back to her drink. "Or that my parents just left me."

Jenny leaned over and hugged her and Willow welcomed it. "I'm sure everything will turn out okay."

Willow nodded but didn't say anything.

**oooooooooo**

**Hogwarts, Scotland – Late afternoon**

Tara McClay felt ill. She had been up to the owlery most of the afternoon and now hurried her way around students, adults, reporters and professors in a quick walk. She glanced over to the Quidditch field again to see the great maze that had been grown there in the last few days by the professors. It was the last challenge of the Triwizard's Tournament. At fourteen she was taller than most of the girls her age and she was coming into her shape nicely.

She hurried around the corner running into Ginny. "Tara," Ginny said holding onto her dearest friend before they both fell over. "The last challenge is about to start! Where we-," she didn't get to finish as Tara uncharacteristically took Ginny's hand and began to pull her along.

"We must find the Headmaster," Tara told her, her Irish brogue coming out a little more now.

"He'll be down at the maze," Ginny said as she hurried along surprised at Tara's speed. "Why?" She saw Tara's eyes and they were scared. "What is it?"

"The maze, this challenge," Tara told her as she moved her friend away from a door and it opened just then. Ginny looked back at it then to her friend, if Tara hadn't of moved her Ginny would have been hit by the door. Tara was in 'that place', neither girl knew how to describe it, and Tara's mum called it 'the foresight'. "Someone will die," Tara whispered to her.

Ginny's eyes opened up at that. "Who? Who will die?" she asked more loudly and some of the others in the hallway turned to look at her as they headed outside and along the path toward the Quidditch field where others were going.

"I don't know," Tara whispered as tears filled her eyes and she began to run. "I don't know."

Ginny followed her and they ran down to the stadium and found everything was cordoned off. Two young girls like them were nothing to the crowds there. "You go that way," Ginny told her shy friend. "Look for my mum or dad or even Bill! They'll get you through to the Headmaster!"

Ginny pushed her off and headed in the other direction ducking in and out of the chaos around her. Harry was in the challenge, and knowing Harry's penchant for getting into quite dangerous trouble, if anyone was probably going to die it was him. She believed her friend, she had seen her talents, even as good a witch as she was, Tara was very good as a diviner. Not that she used it often, Tara hated seeing the unknown because then people feared her, what she would find out about them.

Ginny found an opening in the crowds and slid into it heading down into the stands. There were the four champions with Bagman and Dumbledore at the entrance of the maze.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Ludo Bagman started, his voice being heard all over the field as he introduced and announced the last challenge.

There at the front were a mass of red haired people. "Mum! Dad!" she called out and of course Mrs. Weasley turned at this, if anyone was in tune to her children it was Mrs. Weasley. She waved frantically and she saw Ron and Hermione turn to see her. Bill came up through the crowds and led her on through. Her brother was surprised at her urgency. They came up to her family. "Mum," she started only to see the challenge start with Bagman's whistle and Harry and Cedric went into the maze.

"No!" she heard Tara cry out and the blond hurried down past the seats to the field with two professors chasing her. Viktor had just gone in and Dumbledore was headed Tara's way.

"We have to get them to stop the challenge," Ginny told her parents.

"What?" Ron and Bill said in unison.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Tara, she had a vision, her sight," Ginny told them and they looked to where Dumbledore had his hands on the young girl's shoulders talking with her.

"Don't go in!" Tara said as Bagman waved Fleur on through.

"What iz this?" Fleur asked looking confused. "You are wanting me to lose so Hogwarts will win?"

Dumbledore put up a hand to stop the girl's tirade and looked to Tara. "Miss McClay, what did you see?"

"Someone dies, Headmaster," she told him. "One of the champions die."

"In the maze?" Dumbledore asked as Fleur watched. Bagman and Crouch came over to them as Arthur Weasley, being a ministry man came down as well.

"No, not in the maze," Tara told him.

"They're only in the maze, little girl," Crouch told her.

"They won't be," she told them cryptically.

Dumbledore sighed at this. "We can't stop it, it isn't allowed." Bagman told him.

"You believe this girl?" Fleur asked Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded and put his hand on Tara's shoulder. "I do."

"Then I will not do this!" Fleur said. "Not if one will die, it is not me!" She went back to the crowds and waited. Word was starting to get around about what Tara said.

Dumbledore put his arm about her shoulder. "Whatever happens, young Miss McClay," he said softly. "What you 'see' isn't your fault."

Tara looked down at the trodden grass where many had walked over the course of a few days. She had known since yesterday, she was just too afraid to say anything. She looked back to the entrance. If someone died, it was her fault.

**oooooooooo**

Harry cried out as the giant spider that held him aloft dropped him when he shot a spell at him. He landed on his leg he had injured earlier in the maze with a grunt and rolled to the side. "Stupefy!" he called out as Cedric did the same. The combined spell did what a single one could not. The spider tipped to its side and into the hedge of the maze.

The two boys looked to each other then to the Triwizard's cup on the pedestal only a few yards away from them. "Harry!" Cedric said getting up he came over and helped Harry up and the boy leaned heavily against the hedge taking the pain off his sore leg. It was bleeding and had gooey secretions running down it. "You all right?" Cedric asked.

"Take it," Harry told him painfully looking at the cup behind Cedric. "Go on and take it."

Cedric slowly looked behind him at the cup. It gleamed in the dark of the late afternoon and the shadows of the high hedges. He looked back to Harry who was hanging onto the hedges themselves to keep him upright. "You take it," Cedric told him. "That's twice you saved my neck now."

"That's not how it works," Harry told him, he was tired and angry and he was already mad that Cedric had won this. First Cho and the ball and now this. "The first one there gets the points. I'm not winning any races with this leg."

Cedric looked things over and moved closer to the spider, away from the cup. "No." he replied.

Harry sighed angrily as he held himself up better. "Stop being so noble and take it so we can get out of here!" he told the Hufflepuff.

"First you told me about the dragons," Cedric said. "I would have lost on the first task."

"I had help with the dragons too," Harry crossly reminded him as he kept himself upright. "You helped me with the egg, we're square!"

"I had help with the egg in the first place," Cedric told him.

"We're still square!" Harry told him loudly. He tried putting his weight down on his leg and it trembled violently.

"You stayed to help at the second task, I should have done that," Cedric said.

"I was the only one thick enough to take that song seriously!" Harry complained to him. "Just take the cup!"

"No," Cedric said stepping over the spiders legs to Harry. Harry looked at him like he was incredibly stupid which in fact he was thinking. "Go on," he told Harry folding his arms in resolve; he wasn't going to take it.

Harry gave him a look of disbelief then he looked to the cup then back to him. "Both of us," he told him.

"What?" Cedric asked unfolding his arms.

"We'll take it at the same time," Harry told him. "It's still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it."

"You sure?" Cedric asked. This was appealing to him.

Harry nodded. "We've helped each other out, haven't we? We both got here. Let's just take it together."

Cedric grinned. "You're on. Come on." He helped Harry over the spider and up to the cup. When they reached it they put their hands out just away from either handle. "On three," Cedric said. "One – two – three."

They both grasped the handles and Harry felt the jerk at his navel and the two boys were gone from the maze.

**oooooooooo**

Tara sank to the ground as she felt it. Professor Dumbledore looked her way as Ginny climbed the railing and sprinted over to her. "Tara?" she asked.

"They're gone," Tara whispered. "It's all my fault." She cried into her hands. Dumbledore and Bagman looked to each other. Now they were fully worried, Dumbledore began to call in the Professors, they were going to take down the maze and find the boys.

**oooooooooo**

Harry and Cedric landed in a dismal place, the wind howled over the land and Harry collapsed to the ground as his leg gave out. "Where are we?" he asked as Cedric got up and helped him to stand. There were headstones abound and old leafless trees scattered between them.

Cedric shook his head as the two boys looked around. They could be hundreds of miles from Hogwarts. He looked to the Triwizard's cup. "You know that was a portkey?" he asked.

"Nope," Harry said shaking his head as he still looked around in the darkness. "Is this supposed to be part of the task?"

"I dunno," Cedric said nervously. The place was scary looking. "Wands out you reckon?" he asked.

"Yeah," Harry said. He had a feeling they were being watched. "Someone's coming," he told Cedric. Glancing through the darkness he could see a figure coming. It was short and squat, its cloak was up covering his face as he made his way through the headstones with something in its arms. Harry thought it was a baby at first, but it seemed too awkward. Harry looked to Cedric who looked just as puzzled as he felt. The squat figure stopped at a towering marble headstone only six feet from them. The three of them looked at each other for a long moment then Harry's scar exploded in pain.

**oooooooooo**

Willow stood up and looked to the herbs she had cut with an athame knife Jenny had given to her a month or so ago. Cleansed and blessed it was hers and hers alone for cutting things that weren't in the bloodletting way, that was a no-no. Plants and that were okay. Jenny came out with a basket from the kitchen to see Willow's eyes go wide then she clutched at her forehead and screamed out in pain. Jenny dropped the basket as Willow's eyes rolled back in her head and she began to fall backward, her head going straight for the stones outlining an herb bed.

Jenny caught one arm and held the girl up just enough to lower her slowly. Willow was unconscious. "Willow?" Jenny asked as she patted the girl's cheek. "Willow!" she called again. Jenny opened an eyelid to see that Willow's eyes weren't moving, that was scary then she checked for a pulse, Willow was alive. Jenny picked the girl up and carried her inside grateful she wasn't heavy, that would have been a chore. She got her to the couch then ran to the phone and dialed. "Rupert!" she said worriedly. "Something's wrong with Willow… no, we're at my house… hurry… yes, hurry!" She put the phone down and went to sit by the redhead.

**oooooooooo**

Tara clutched onto Ginny's hand. They were in the stands watching as Viktor was taken from the grounds unconscious. Hermione was following but she kept looking back for any signs of Harry. She wanted to be in both places at once.

Ginny and Mrs. Weasley looked to the quiet blond girl. "Are you okay?" Ginny asked.

Tara touched her forehead and looked up to the skies. "No," she whispered. "They're together."

"Who is?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Tara didn't say anything as her eyes were unfocused, she flinched every so often. Mrs. Weasley held Tara close and looked to her daughter grateful she didn't have any seer gifts.

**oooooooooo**

Willow's mind raced. She couldn't control anything as she saw something fuzzy and scary. Mostly it was the ground.

'_Kill the spare,'_ a cold voice said.

Another voice screeched high in the air. _'Avada kedavra!'_ it cried out and whatever Willow was looking through looked up and there it was. Green light blazed through her eyesight and a boy around her age fell over dead right in front of her. His eyes still open and unseeing, his mouth slack, he looked surprised. Just like one of the boys in the AV room at Sunnydale High. Willow felt sick as her vision scrambled in movement again like she was being pulled to her feet.

She was thrust at something hard and then there was some light. There in front of her was a name on a stone. **TOM RIDDLE**. Who was Tom Riddle? It didn't matter at the moment as she was left there now facing out to see a fat, ugly man with rope tying her up. He had on a cloak and in his hand was a wand. Where was she?

'_You!'_ she said. Only it wasn't her saying, so it wasn't her future at least she hoped it wasn't, she sounded like a boy.

The squat man said nothing as he checked his knots and the tightness of his handiwork then stuffed something in her mouth. She couldn't taste it, but she could feel it. She watched as the man went to the bundle and her forehead seared in pain as the man opened it. She wanted to see what it was, but when someone tied you up and opened something it wasn't good. Like that Aliens move with the icky crawly things. This was bad.

Her eyes moved again to see something slithering in the grass. It was the hugest snake she had ever seen and she was now very scared. Vampires had fangs, snakes had fangs, but snake fangs held venom and they had really creepy eyes that made her blood run cold. Time blurred as there was a cauldron and the robes the man had carried moved. Willow didn't like this dream, she was scared of froggie dreams but this was a horrific nightmare.

'_Hurry,'_ the cold voice said.

'_It is ready Master,'_ the squat man said.

The robes moved and Willow cried out through her gag as something repulsive and slimy slithered out from them. It was hairless and scaly, sort of reddish black. The man put it in the boiling cauldron.

'_Bone of the father, unknowingly given. You will renew your son!'_ the squat man said waving his wand over the grave Willow was tied to. She screamed as the stone split below her. A fine dust trickled through the air from the ground at her feet and into the cauldron. The surface of the water broke and hissed. _"Flesh - of the servant willingly - given - you will revive - your master,'_ he spoke as he aimed a knife at his own arm and she couldn't see anything anymore. There was screaming and Willow flinched with it. Willow's eyes opened again when she felt a breath on her cheek. The man was right next to her. _'Blood - of the enemy - forcibly taken - you will resurrect your foe,'_ he said and Willow knew what was coming. She felt pain at the crook of her right arm and blood trailed down her arm. She saw him catch it in a glass vial and took it over and dumped it in the cauldron. The man's left hand was gone; it was a stump at the wrist.

**oooooooooo**

Giles hurried into Jenny's house hearing Willow scream. He found Jenny holding the redhead down. The girl was panting and shaking. "What happened?" he asked as he rushed over to them.

"She was out collecting herbs," Jenny said as Willow went to only twitching now. "She screamed out in pain and grabbed her forehead. I caught her from hitting her head on a stone and now she's going into fits every so often."

Giles opened an eyelid and saw they weren't moving. "You have wards about your house, yes?" he asked. Jenny gave him a dirty look and he nodded. "Of course. This rules out a few things." Willow thrashed about a bit then her right arm began to bleed. "Dear god!" Giles exclaimed as he pressed his hand over it and Jenny ran to get a towel.

Willow was silent as they bound up her arm. "Maybe she's possessed," Jenny offered as she sat by the prone redhead.

Giles sat back. "Not many things can make you instantly bleed," he told her. "Possession of an evil being yes-," he started. "But how would it have gotten to her?"

"She's pretty powerful, Rupert," Jenny told him. "What she did at the Hellmouth had to of attracted more than a few things her way."

Giles made a face of annoyance but that she was right. "I don't know why I didn't see it," he said.

"I had her cast wards around the Summers and I admit I'm not very strong in the world of magic but my wards are pretty safe," Jenny told him.

Willow's breathing began to get faster and she struggled to move and the two adults held her down.

**oooooooooo**

Whiter than a skull with wide vivid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snakes with slits for nostrils. This man came out of the cauldron and Willow felt the sheer terror of the body she was in. The Master was evil, but this was pure evil.

Willow heard the scary man and the squat man talking but she didn't want to make it out. The ultra scary man flung the squat man against the headstone Willow was tied to then came over as the man sobbed, scary man pulled back the robe from squat man's good arm and there was a red tattoo of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth on his forearm. Scary man touched it and her forehead screamed in pain again as the man at her feet howled in pain as well.

Scary man talked for a while as the pain slowly faded to a dull throb before she could fully hear him again. _'You stand, Harry Potter, on the remains of my late father,'_ Scary man told her. _'A muggle and a fool- like your dear mother.'_

Willow felt anger build up. She was in the body of Harry Potter, whoever he was. He must be a wizard the others were wizards. At least the man at her feet was. She watched scary man talk then she felt others come and that scared her more. They had conical hats and skull masks and robes that reminded her of pictures of the Klu Klux Klan, they were more scary if that was even possible. They saw scary man and they knelt and crawled to him and kissed the hem of his robe. That was when Willow knew she would never be evil; she didn't kiss anyone's robes.

**oooooooooo**

Giles stood over Willow as she calmed again. He had all of Willow's spell books open and was searching them madly. "There's nothing in here on possession." He looked to Jenny. "How many do you have of wiccan magic?"

"A few," she told him. "Nothing on subjects like this."

Giles sighed as he looked to Willow. "We're going to have try to cast it out."

"Shouldn't we determine if she is possessed first?" Jenny asked. Giles nodded. Jenny motioned. "I have a casting room downstairs." Giles picked up Willow and followed Jenny.

**oooooooooo**

Willow watched as scary man went around naming the people, Death Eaters, who were there. Apparently he wasn't happy with any of them. After a while they all looked Willow's way and so did scary man. _'Yes, Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party,'_ scary man said. _'One might go so far to call him our guest of honor.'_

Willow hated evil people's sense of humor, it was very cruel. She thought about that and supposed that evil people were supposed to be cruel or they wouldn't be evil and she let it go at that. One man by the name of Lucius Malfoy was asking about how he returned. Scary man's name was Lord Voldemort. Darth Vader, Lord Voldemort – sounded about the same.

'_You know of course that they call this boy my downfall,'_ Lord Voldemort said. His eyes turned to Willow and her forehead burned so badly she screamed in agony. She hurt so much she couldn't hear him for a while again. _'His mother left upon him traces of her sacrifice… This is old magic, I should have remembered it,'_ Voldemort told them. _'I was foolish to overlook it, but I can touch him now.'_

Willow saw him close and he was freaky scary, more than Master and Hellmouth demon scary. He touched her cheek with a long white finger and he laughed wickedly in her ear. She trembled from this.

**oooooooooo**

Giles found a spell in one of Jenny's books. More like she found it but he was going to perform it. Willow was spread out on the marked concrete floor once again, her head pillowed and Giles had a smoking stem of sage in his hand, he waved it over Willow's body. "That of the other realm I command you to come forth!" he said authoritatively. "Show yourself!"

Giles and Jenny watched and waited. After a little while Jenny looked his way. "Maybe we're on the wrong LAN line?" she told him. He gave her an evil look.

"I'll try again," he told her. He waved the sage over Willow again. "That of the other realm I command you to come forth! Show yourself!" he commanded again. Still nothing happened.

"What do we do now?" Jenny asked. So far Willow had been peaceful after another episode where Giles had to hold her after he made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm not sure," Giles said handing the sage and the book back. "Performing an exorcism won't kill her, but it will waste time if we're wrong."

"Do you have a better idea?" she asked.

Giles took off his glasses and polished them. "At the moment, no."

**oooooooooo**

Willow listened as Voldemort regaled the last thirteen years of his life up until his point. He had a Death Eater at some place called Hogwarts and he had tricked some Goblet into taking Harry's name for a tournament. That didn't make any sense to Willow, but it put Harry in Voldemort's clutches and that was not good. Now apparently, where Voldemort had almost died he was reborn and just as strong and evil as ever.

Willow's eyes went wide as Voldemort turned her way and raised his wand at her. _'Crucio!'_ he said and Willow screamed as it hit her. It was a pain she had never felt before. Her bones were on fire and every inch of her body hurt. She hung limply in the bonds of the rope and soon she was untied and the gag taken out and a wand was put into her hand. She looked up to see the Death Eaters had closed ranks and her – no, Harry's leg was apparently hurt, he wasn't going to run anywhere which meant neither was she.

'_You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter?'_ Voldemort said. _'We bow to each other.'_ Voldemort bent a little, his snake like face still looking her way. _'Come, the niceties must be observed… Dumbledore would like you to show manners… Bow to death, Harry,'_ Voldemort commanded and the Death Eaters laughed, even Voldemort smiled.

'_I said bow,'_ Voldemort told him and flicked his wand and Willow found her spine moving and she was forced to bow. _'Very good, now face me like a man. Straight-backed and proud, the way your father died.'_

Before Willow knew it she was hit by that crucio again and she spasmed in pain, white hot pain running through her body and she was jerked about not able to control herself. She staggered into the wall of Death Eaters and they pushed her back into the circle.

'_A little break,'_ Voldemort said. _'A little pause… that hurt, didn't it Harry?' _he asked. _'You don't want me to do that again, do you?'_ Harry didn't answer and Voldemort was getting angry. _'I asked you whether you wanted me to do that again!'_ Voldemort demanded. _'Answer me! Imperio!'_ he yelled out his curse at her.

Willow felt like a pressure was off of her. But she could still think. She felt Harry's mind go blank but he was saying to himself that he wouldn't. His eyes never left Voldemort. How strong he was, Willow wished she was that strong. Harry was fighting so hard he couldn't answer, so Willow did and it came out in Harry's voice. _'I won't,'_ they said together. Harry's mind was back and Willow slid into the back seat again.

'_You won't?'_ Voldemort said, his scarlet eyes widening. The Death Eaters weren't laughing. Harry had repelled an unforgivable curse. No one could say that. _'You won't say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die,' _Voldemort told him trying to save face in front of his underlings. _'Perhaps another little dose of pain?'_

Willow felt her muscles – Harry's muscles tighten and when Voldemort aimed his wand at him they dove behind Voldemort's father's headstone. The curse made it crack. Willow felt Harry's pain and his resolve as Voldemort mocked him about hiding. Harry knew he was going to die, but he wasn't going to die like a child and he wasn't going to die kneeling at Voldemort's feet. Willow had resolved to help him if she could.

Willow heard Voldemort coming closer and Harry pulled them up. _'Expelliarmus!'_ he yelled at Voldemort pointing at him with his wand in his hand. Voldemort had yelled _'Avada kedavra'_ back at him.

Red light came from Harry's wand as the ghastly green came from Voldemort's. The beams met in midair and they held. A narrow beam of gold light connected the two wands. Death Eaters came in close their wands at the ready asking Voldemort what they should do as the two locked together rose into the air a little. The gold beam splintered but the wands were still connected as thousands of beams arced around Willow and Voldemort enclosing them.

'_Do nothing!'_ Voldemort commanded them. He was trying to break the spells but he couldn't, he was held as she was. _'Do nothing unless I command you!'_

There was an unearthly sound that vibrated through the air. Willow had never heard it before but she would never forget it, it was beautiful and peaceful. She could tell Harry was happy to hear it. Then Willow felt it and she let her magic go out into Harry. Beads of magic appeared on the stream that connected the two wands and the wands shook at the power behind it. The magic got so hot her hands hurt and she wasn't sure such a slim piece of wood would survive the vibration that ran through it. With Willow's magic Harry forced the beads back to Voldemort and the heat left, but when they connected to Voldemort's he screamed in pain.

Willow watched as the head and torso of the boy she saw die just a short while ago came out. He was a ghost! He was thick, gray and looked solid. _'Hold on Harry,'_ he told Willow.

Another ghost appeared this one was an old man with a walking stick. He urged Harry to fight Voldemort, the man who had killed him.

Then came a man with untidy hair, he looked to Willow. _'Your mother's coming,' _he said. _'She wants to see you… it will be all right… hold on.'_

Then a woman with long hair came out. Willow swallowed to see her own features in her face. Who was she? She looked to the man with untidy hair and saw her eyes. Who were they? The woman, Harry's mother, came close to her and Willow felt her jaw – Harry's jaw tighten. _'When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments,'_ Harry's mother said. _'We will give you time… you must get to the portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts. Do you understand, Harry?'_ she asked.

Willow nodded. _'Yes,'_ Harry said.

'_Harry, take my body back, will you?' _the boy asked. _'Take my body back to my parents.'_

'_I will,'_ Harry said.

'_Be ready to run,'_ the untidy haired man said. _'Do it now…'_

'_NOW!'_ Harry said and Willow felt him wrench the wand from its hold and the protective circle and the song left. Willow felt Harry run hard, knocking down two Death Eaters as he zigzagged between headstones. He dodged curses as they made it towards the boy's body and the cup on the ground.

'_Stun him!'_ she heard Voldemort cry out.

'_Impedimenta!'_ Harry flung back as he dodged again. Willow heard someone cry out from behind but Harry was running so fast there was no time to look. Flashes of light whooshed by them but none connected.

'_Stand aside!'_ she heard Voldemort said. _'I will kill him, he is mine!'_

Willow reached out for the boy and the cup. The cup was out of reach! _'Accio!'_ Willow cried out and it flung to her hand as her other hand closed about the boy's wrist and felt a pull at her navel.

Willow gasped out in pain as she opened her eyes. There above her with a cross, a bell and a candle were Giles and Jenny. Willow rolled over curling up into a fetal position she felt like throwing up.

**oooooooooo**

Harry and Cedric came tumbling out on the grasses of the Hogwarts Quidditch field. The maze was gone and Harry stumbled to the ground on his knees. He looked to Cedric's body and he grasped the boy and held him close letting the Triwizard's cup fall to the ground. There was running towards him, voices everywhere, screams.

"Harry," Dumbledore said to him. "Harry!"

Harry looked up at him, his energy was gone. He had so much of it during the end with Voldemort and running to get the portkey and Cedric and now it was just gone. "He's back. Voldemort is back," Harry told the Headmaster.

"What's going on? What's happened?" Minister Fudge asked shoving his way in. "My god, Diggory. Dumbledore, he's dead!"

Harry was surrounded by chaos after that. There was screaming and crying and Dumbledore had to pry him off of Cedric only after Harry explained that Cedric wanted him to bring him back.

Harry found himself being half carried to the infirmary by Moody from the Quidditch field. Moody changed their course and he found himself in Moody's office. Moody was asking him a ton of questions about the Death Eaters and who had Voldemort forgiven.

"What?" Harry asked as he saw Moody pointing his wand at Harry. This had to be the nightmare on top of another nightmare. It couldn't be happening. Moody had put his name into the Goblet of Fire.

"I asked you if he forgave the scum that never went looking for him," Moody said angrily. "Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him. The faithless, worthless bits of flesh who were brave enough to cavort around at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the dark mark I fired up in the sky."

"You fired…?" Harry said disbelieving. "What are you talking about?"

Moody told him. He had put Harry's name in under a different school so he would be chosen. He had set Harry up to succeed at all his tasks. All so he could get the cup and go to where Voldemort was waiting. Moody's face had changed into a maniacal smile during this and Harry felt numb.

"You had an easier time of it through the maze of course," Moody told him. "Patrolling the outer edge I cursed many of the obstacles out of your way. Delacour never even went in, so no problem with her. I put the imperious curse on Krum to get Diggory out of the way and leave you clear in the path for the cup."

Moody was ranting. Harry couldn't believe this. He was an auror; a trusted friend of his father's and trusted by Dumbledore! He looked over Moody's shoulder to see the foe-glass on the wall, the fog around it had lifted and there were three figures in it coming closer and closer.

"The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you Potter, and he so wanted to," Moody told him. "Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him."

Harry listened to him rant some more and knew he would never reach the barred door or his wand in time. "You're mad!" Harry said, he couldn't help himself. "You're really mad!"

Moody looked more furious than ever. "Mad am I?" he yelled at him. "We'll see who's mad now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him – now I conquer you!"

Harry reached for his wand in his robes when he heard – "Stupefy!" Harry ducked down as there was a flash of red light and the door to Moody's office was blasted apart throwing Moody across the room and knocking him out. Pieces of wood rained down on him as he looked to the foe-glass to see Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape looking right at him. He looked behind to see them all there in the doorway. Dumbledore was in front with his wand pointed at Moody. He now understood why Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort ever feared. The twinkle in his eye and friendly smile were gone, replaced with a cold fury. He kicked Moody over onto his back as Professor McGonagall tried to move Harry to the infirmary but Dumbledore insisted that Harry stay. "To see who had done this to him," the Headmaster said.

"Moody," Harry replied. "I can't believe it was him."

"That is not Alastor Moody," Dumbledore told him. "He would never take you from my sight. That was how I knew, and I followed. Along with a little help from your young friend Miss McClay. Severus," he said to Snape as he took out a flask and a set of keys from Moody's robes. "Go and get me your strongest truth serum and bring up the house elf Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house and retrieve a large black dog and take him to my office, tell him to wait there I'll be with him shortly then come back here."

The two professors didn't say anything about the odd requests but went on their way. Dumbledore went over to the trunk with seven locks and Harry watched as he opened each one. It revealed a different trunk for each one, when Dumbledore closed it and opened the next lock something new was there. The last one made Harry cry out. It was like a deep pit and in the bottom was Alastor Moody, his wooden leg gone and where his magical eye should be was a socket. He was thin and unconscious and looked to be very cold. Dumbledore climbed down in and told Harry to get him the cloak from the other Moody. The Moody in the trunk would need to go to the infirmary.

Dumbledore came back out and opened the flask the fake Moody had and dumped it out, it was thick and gelatinous. "Polyjuice potion," Dumbledore told him. "That's how he did it. Take it every hour on the hour, I think our imposter became careless and forgot." He sat down and both he and Harry watched until the fake Moody began to change. The scars gone leaving soft skin, the wooden leg popped off and the leg regrew. It was a man Harry had seen before in Dumbledore's pensieve. He was being led away by Dementors screaming at his father, he looked older now.

Snape, Winky and McGonagall came back. "Crouch!" Snape said. "Barty Crouch!"

Harry listened to Barty Crouch talk in a flat voice under the truth serum. He talked about how his parents helped him escape Azkaban. How his father controlled him, hid him, Winky was his caretaker. Until Bertha Jorkins came, she knew who he was and confronted his father about him. He put such a powerful memory charm on her she lost her memory, it damaged her.

Winky had persuaded his father to take him to the Quidditch World Cup. He had grown stronger out of his father's imperius curse and he saw Harry's wand in his pocket and took it. He was the one that cast the dark mark in the sky using Harry's wand. The one that started the panic. His father found him and took him home but Voldemort had found him. He had captured Bertha Jorkins and he tortured her until he learned about him and the Triwizard Tournament and Moody teaching at Hogwarts this year.

Wormtail had caught Moody off guard and given him over so Crouch could become him. But then his father escaped and came to warn Dumbledore and he killed him. Winky's wail was not happy about that. Crouch told them he made the portkey and that Voldemort was back in power now. He smiled at that.

Harry spent his night telling Dumbledore and Sirius what had happened. Fawkes healed his leg and he went with Sirius as a dog once more and Dumbledore to the infirmary wing hoping to get some sleep. The Weasley's, Hermione and Tara were there, Mrs. Weasley was demanding to know where Harry was. Tara looked back, shy and tears in her eyes she didn't say anything but the guilt on her face showed that she was hurting.

The others looked when they came through the doorway and Mrs. Weasley was headed his way with her arms open wide. "Harry! Oh Harry!" she started when Dumbledore stepped in her path.

"Molly," he said. "Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He's been through it once with me and he needs peace, quiet and sleep. No more questions until tomorrow."

Molly nodded and looked to her children, Hermione and Tara. "Did you hear? He needs quiet!" None of them were saying anything.

Madame Pomfrey came and took charge asking about the dog but Dumbledore assured him the dog was well trained and would be staying with Harry through the night. Harry was grateful as he was led down the room. He saw the real Moody laying there. "How is he?" he asked.

"He'll be fine," she told him.

He changed into bed clothes and went back and got into bed. The others came and sat around him. Ron and Hermione looked worried and a little scared of him. Ginny held Tara's hand as Mrs. Weasley smoothed down his bed sheets. "I'm alright," he told them. "Just tired."

Madame Pomfrey came over with a vial of purple potion and a goblet. "You need to drink it all down, Harry," she said. "It's a potion of dreamless sleep." He took it and he got tired quickly.

Just before he fell asleep he heard Tara's shy voice. "I'm so sorry, Harry."

**oooooooooo**

Jenny watched over Willow for a little while longer in her spare bedroom. Well her computer room but it had a pull out bed. She and Giles had done something very illegal and gave her a valium just to get her to sleep. Giles had called Joyce telling her that Willow had been in a panic over the loss of her parents. It just came on suddenly, the elder Summers was on her way there. Willow had been jittery and crying and going on and on about a vold mort, whatever that was, and a horrific nightmare. Or it would have been if she hadn't of said another name. Harry Potter.

Willow had just lived through something her brother had just gone through. How did Jenny know this? She looked to the pendant that was up against Willow's neck at the moment. Old magic, she knew old magic. Couldn't really do it without exhausting herself. But that pendant was old magic, whoever created it wanted Willow to find her family, or know her family. When she felt Willow was ready she'd show her. From the sounds of it, Willow would need to know how to take care of herself, if that, combining was any information of what she was going to get into with her brother, let alone a Vampire Slayer.

Jenny heard Giles answer the door, it was Joyce. She moved out of the way as Joyce came in and stroked back Willow's hair and asked questions. Jenny had to hand it to the woman; she was a really good mom, even to strays that crossed her path. Something Jenny wasn't really destined to be.

**oooooooooo**

Harry smiled as the school year ended. The Beaubaxtons and the Durmstrangs were getting ready to leave. The schools had said farewell to Cedric and many of the Hufflepuff's were still in mourning. Harry felt sad he couldn't save him, and some even blamed him for it. Hermione assured him they were just taking it out on him because he was convenient. Tara had avoided Harry looking so guilty anytime he came near. That was disturbing as well. He had learned from Ginny that Tara had seen it, had tried to warn Dumbledore not to let it happen. She knew someone was going to die.

What made Harry mad was that Fudge denied that Voldemort was back. Of all the idiotic things! Fudge had let the Dementors into Hogwarts again and they had given Crouch the Dementors kiss and the man was dead. Dumbledore and McGonagall were furious; there was no one to testify about Voldemort or what had happened about the tournament. Harry wondered if Fudge was in Voldemort or one of the Death Eater's pockets. That would explain a lot.

They were out at the entrance hall waiting to go back to Hogsmeade for the train home. He saw Ron watching Hermione who was with Viktor and they were smiling at each other and then they kissed. Harry glanced back to Ron who looked away mad. Viktor put his arm about Hermione's shoulders and they walked over to where Harry and Ron where and Ron scowled at the floor.

"Harry," Viktor said. "I liked Cedric," he told him. "He vas alvays polite to me."

Harry nodded as they shook hands; Viktor's was larger than his. "Do you have a new Headmaster yet?" he asked. Karkaroff had run off once the dark mark was reactivated.

Viktor shrugged. "Not as yet," he told him. The seeker kissed Hermione again. "I vill see you in two veeks, da?" he asked the young woman.

Hermione smiled. "Yes."

He nodded and left them for the Durmstrang boat. "Hey!" Ron said. "Can I have your autograph?" Hermione and Harry looked to each other with small smiles Ron couldn't see as Viktor signed a parchment for him.

Harry saw a flash of blond and red together and saw it was Ginny and Tara. They had come to wait for the carriages. "I'll be back," he told his friends. He made his way over and Ginny smiled his way. Tara blanched when she saw him.

"Tara," Harry said sitting on the other side of the blond girl. "Thank you, for what you tried to do."

Tara shook her head. "I-I w-w-w- was," the blond girl stopped hiding her face behind the veil of blond hair again as she tried to compose herself. "I-I knew----," she stilled as her soft blue eyes that seemed to just radiate kindness and love looked to him. "Th- the night before," she whispered and tears came to her eyes. "I-I didn't want to believe it," she got out. "It-it's m-m," she stopped as her stuttering got so strong she couldn't talk.

Ginny looked worried, she had for the past week. Her shy friend was becoming more shy since this happened. "It's not your fault, you didn't do this," she told her.

Tara began to shake her head. "It's Voldemort's," Harry told her. "Barty Crouch he set it all up. If you had interfered he might have done something to you. Something more than what's been done," he said gently. Tara looked up at him. He looked to her arm and she slid her hand over it they both knew her scar was there. He was pretty sure it was from her father before her mother brought her back to Ireland. He knew about that kind of abuse, the Dursley's were not good people. Harry smiled and stood up. "Carriages are coming. Let's go find Ron and Hermione," he told them. Ginny took Tara's hand and they went to look for their friends.

**To Be Continued…**


	13. Chapter 13

**Early July - Sunnydale**

Willow sat curled up on the Summer's couch with a cup of tea and the TV on playing an old movie. It had been three days since that horrific vision had come to her. Not that vision was the right word, she had 'shared an experience' with a Harry Potter. Part of her was glad she was where she was, she couldn't imagine having to go through in person what he did.

Giles and Jenny had talked about how she had been summoned, somehow, to live this person's experience. Why? They didn't know. How? They didn't know that either. Willow honestly hoped that Harry was going to stay away from this Vold Mort for a good, long while. And there were more questions than any answers the adults could give her. Where had this taken place? They all had English accents so probably England. That made Giles take notice. Who was this Vold Mort? And this guy Harry Potter, who was he? Willow hadn't made it to a computer yet to start searching.

Once she had woken up Joyce had taken over and she was in Buffy's bed once again only to find she couldn't sleep. When she tried the images came back and Willow had done a bad thing. She was so scared one time she set fire to a jacket that looked like the shadow of a Death Eater in the darkness of the room. She had put it out and fixed what had happened but she was scared to sleep, scared to hurt all that Joyce had freely given to her. A home, someone who cares, a safe haven.

Joyce insisted she go get a check up at the doctor and he said staying calm would be good for her so Xander had been coming over every day to watch movies with her or sit on the porch and talk. She told him about what had happened and Xander was shocked. Sure they had been through lots of things here, including facing the Master but after a few days Willow was so exhausted she had circles under her eyes and Xander was worried.

Word had also come from Social Services. Willow was going to need a guardian, someone who would have custody of her until she was eighteen, at the moment it was Agent Coltrane and Joyce. But none of her family had come forward and offered to take her in, and it had been three months since her parents had left for Miami. They were officially declared missing and all of their property and stocks were going to be liquidated and put in a fund for Willow. Some to be used to pay for her upkeep by her guardian until she was eighteen and the rest would be hers afterward. If her parents did return they were going to have a lawsuit on their hands to get their money or their daughter back.

Their daughter… Willow looked out the window as her cup of tea cooled. She knew that she wasn't a Rosenberg. She began to wonder if she was a Potter. Harry's mother had looked like her, only she was older, but the features were there. Willow could be naïve but she wasn't stupid. She stilled as she took out the pendant around her neck and looked to the Willow tree on it. Was it from them? The ghosts in the wand? Was she this Harry Potter's sister? Willow Potter. She smiled at that, it sounded funny, but at the same time, it sounded nice. She sighed as she put her pendant back. Until she was sure she wasn't going to make believe any new family up. Xander did that, last time he was Wolverine's love child. Though Xander was getting more than a little hairy and strange. He was looking guilty over something, but she wasn't sure what.

"Wiiillllooowww," Xander sang out from the walkway as he came up the steps to the front door of the house. "I've come to eat you Will, I'm a crazy hyena possessed guy! Let me in!"

"Why do you have donuts then?" she called back and brown eyes peered into the window and she smiled his way.

"They're possessed donuts," he replied. "They called to me. Eat me Xander, eat me!"

Willow laughed as Xander came in, she was glad she had two best friends and that one was still at home. Buffy had called when she heard what was going on and she was coming home early so that the three of them could have time together before the start of school.

Xander sat down by her and opened the box of donuts. "Milady," he said offering her first choice.

"Jelly," she said with a smile. She took the lemon one and Xander took a strawberry and he sat back as he put his feet up on the coffee table.

"How ya doin'?" he asked looking to her eyes. She shrugged. "Not sleeping?"

"I still see it, feel it," she told him as she dipped out some of the filling with her finger and licked it off. She sighed. "How does Buffy deal with things like this?"

Xander shrugged as jelly gooshed from the sides of the donut and his mouth as he ate half of his in one bite. "My mom takes a ton of stuff to sleep at night."

Willow shook her head. "I hate drugs. They make you all weird in your head."

Xander made a face. "My mom's already weird in the head." He finished that donut off and found a cruller and took a big bite out of that. "You wanna sleep?" he asked seeing her tired face. "I'll stay awake."

Willow smiled his way as she ate a corner of her donut off, careful not to goosh her filling out. "Would you?" she asked.

Xander smiled and moved the donuts off his lap and patted it. "Xander pillow is all free."

Willow felt grateful as she handed over her donut and curled up on his lap. Xander stroked back her hair and watched between her and the movie until she fell asleep. He found the remote and changed it to cartoons. He would watch over her, that was his job.

**oooooooooo**

Jenny Calendar let out a breath as she left the Social Services offices. She had just applied to be Willow's Guardian/Foster Parent. She had yet to ask Willow but she knew this was an opportunity she couldn't miss out on.

"Now to find the person who can give me some answers," she muttered as she headed to her car. She went to the one hotel in Sunnydale. It was in the nicer area near the shopping center. She found a good place to park and settled in to watch. Day after day during the summer she settled in at different hotels, motels, rental apartments waiting to see someone familiar.

**oooooooooo**

**August 9, 1995 – Grimmauld Place, London, England**

Harry watched as the Weasley kids; George, Fred, Ron and Ginny sat around with Mrs. Weasley, Sirius and himself eating lunch during a break from cleaning the Black family's drawing room. The whole place was creepy, he couldn't believe that his Godfather had grown up there.

Everything was evil, all the objects were dark magic, dark wizards, purebloods who believed in the extermination of muggles and muggleborn. Even their own blood was worthless if they didn't believe in the purist qualities. Sirius was one, Tonks; the auror that helped bring him here was Sirius's second cousin as her mother was his first cousin and Tonks wasn't even on the family tree, her mother having been removed for marrying a muggle born. Personally, Harry thought she was better off, the clumsy young woman was a happy person and Harry felt a kindness in her he never would in Tonks's cousin, that of Draco Malfoy. He had been raised the purist way and he was a bloody git.

Then he learned that pretty much all purebloods were interrelated because there were so few of them. Mrs. Weasley was Sirius's cousin by marriage and Mr. Weasley was a second cousin to him. Harry knew his father was a pureblood, that made him wonder who he was related to. Hopefully something better than the Dursley's.

He looked to his sandwich as his eyes wandered the room. He had been there a few days now, and while it was nice to be away from the Dursley's he really didn't like this place. He looked to Ron who would glance at him every so often. Harry had yelled at him the other day for not writing and telling him anything that was going on. Dumbledore had told him not to and Hermione wasn't even there. She had spent two weeks with her parents and now she was in Bulgaria with Viktor. She had written him and told him what she knew, which wasn't a lot. Voldemort really wasn't mentioned there. Apparently Britain was the main source for Voldemort. He knew it would spread, Voldemort's terror if they did nothing about it would shake the world. Sirius had told him quite a bit the night before. And he figured if it was just him and Remus they'd tell him everything. Even Tonks would just let it out. But Mrs. Weasley wanted to protect him as if he were ten years old or something. After what he had seen a month ago there was no reason to hide anything about Voldemort. He didn't know how to make them understand. And it made him so angry… he wasn't sure why he was that angry, he just was.

"Aren't you hungry?" Ginny asked.

Harry shrugged as he looked to his sandwich again. Normally he was always hungry, but since he had come home to his 'loving' family and now here… he wasn't. He set the sandwich down. "I'm going to wander the house," he told them.

"We have more cleaning so be back in a while," Mrs. Weasley told him. He nodded and headed out of the drawing room and up the stairs.

There were lots of doors, he had passed the room he and Ron shared and came to other corridors. He found ones that were covered with dust and cobwebs. Ones Mrs. Weasley hadn't been into yet. He continued on until he found a small set of stairs that went up into what should be the attic. Harry went up. His footsteps unsettled years of dust as he opened the door and headed into the tiny space.

Here there was a jumble of boxes and chests. Even some old robes and a few more things that looked wicked and he knew touching them wouldn't be the smartest thing on his own. There was a small window halfway down the room and he settled himself by it looking out over London. Even the city from there looked dismal. Was that what his life was meant to be? Dismal, dank, dark… and… dumb. He smiled a little at that. He shifted his weight around, he was getting taller by the month and he had a bit more weight on him at fifteen. He pushed with the toe of his sneaker against a brick under the window to shift himself fully when it moved.

Harry stopped for a second then put a little more weight on it and it moved further out. Hello… he got to his knees and looked it over. It seemed safe. He got a hold of the brick and it slid out and the area widened into a cubby hole. Harry looked in to see that there were a few books and loose pages hidden in there. Carefully he removed a book. It was a grade 4 spell book. He opened it up to see the name Sirius Black written in the front cover. Harry smiled when he realized it was Sirius's hiding place to stash things from his family. He pulled out the pages and found them to be pictures.

There were lots of them with Sirius, Remus, Harry's parents, Pettigrew and some others that he didn't know. Some around their age, others were older. He came across one that was of Sirius holding a child with dark hair. Did Sirius have a child? Harry didn't think so. Harry realized that all of them were in their early twenties so it had to of been around the time Harry was born.

He moved that one aside and found Remus holding a redheaded baby. Wow, Remus looked happy and like he had slept. He didn't think his old Professor had any children either. But then he didn't know as much about him as he did Sirius. He put that one aside and stilled as he saw his parents. His father was holding an infant him… Harry. Their dark hair matching. He saw his mother holding the redheaded baby from the picture with Remus.

Harry held it close as he saw that his parents rocked and held the two of them. He didn't realize it but tears came to his eyes. He had a brother… or a sister.

Grabbing the photos Harry ran down the steps of the attic and half jumped his way down the main stairs. "Sirius! Sirius!" he called out as he slid into the drawing room.

"You really don't want to wake my mother up Harry," Sirius said as he pulled him over and shut the doors. The Weasleys were cleaning and Sirius didn't look like he was enjoying it any.

Harry was shaking as he held out the pictures. "Tell me," he demanded.

Sirius looked to them. "Oh Harry," he whispered. He looked to the Weasleys then pulled him out of the room and into another that was empty. "You found my stash." He shook his head as he looked to them. "I hid them there right before the aurors found me."

Harry pointed to the one with the four of them together. "Who is that?" he asked.

Sirius smiled as he sat down on a dusty chair. "Your sister," Sirius replied.

Harry said down hard next to him. "My-," he got out.

"Sister," Sirius told him. "Your twin, Willow."

Harry looked to the picture again. "Is she dead?" he asked scared to know the answer.

Sirius shook his head. "To anyone's knowledge she's still alive."

Harry sat back. "Where is she?" he asked. "Willow, my sister Willow," he said with a smile.

"I don't know, in America is about all anyone knows," he replied. "Even then there are only a handful that do know that she exists at all."

Harry didn't understand. "Why isn't she here? Why am I not with her, or her with me?"

Sirius sighed as he looked his way. This was the stuff Dumbledore didn't want him to know, but Sirius believed Harry could handle it. "When the prophecy about you came to be, everyone watched to see what children would be born at the end of the seventh month. There were very few of you, but when you were born word went up. Dumbledore hid Willow's birth, she was five minutes behind you. Even though she wasn't male she would be a target and no one knew Lily was going to have twins but us.

You weren't even a year old when another prophecy came. One about her and we had to hide her where no one would find her," Sirius told him.

"In the States?" Harry asked.

Sirius nodded. "Remus, her godfather, found a new family for her. A couple that couldn't have children. However, a group somewhat like the Death Eaters destroyed part of the town and her parents were killed. Willow was missing and Remus has spent all his time since looking for her."

"Why didn't he tell me?" Harry asked upset. "Why didn't Professor Dumbledore?"

"She was kept secret for a reason Harry," Sirius said as gently as he could.

"She's my sister!" Harry demanded.

"And to what avail would this knowledge come of, Harry?" Sirius said more firmly. "You cannot tell anyone about her! She is hidden even from us! Remus comes now only to meetings for the Order but devotes his time to searching for her! She is everything to him like you are to me! You cannot tell anyone you have a sibling, Harry," he said more gently seeing the look on Harry's face. "You cannot or you endanger her life and yours even more."

Harry's jaw tightened as he looked his way. "I will find her. I'll-I'll leave school and find her."

Sirius sighed again. "How? What will you do that Remus and I have not done?"

Harry looked at him and Sirius nodded. "I helped him last year as best I could before authorities in America spotted me. Now I am imprisoned in this festering hellhole."

Harry took the photo of his family. His mother, father, sister and him. "I don't know. But she is all I have left."

Sirius put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "You have me."

Harry looked up to him. "I don't want to be in the dark about her anymore, Sirius."

Sirius sighed and nodded. "Do not mention this to anyone, I will talk with Remus but you cannot go searching for her, Harry. You must go to school."

Harry didn't look happy about that but nodded. Sirius tucked the other photos away. "I must have that one too, Harry," he told him.

Harry shook his head. "I need something, Sirius."

Sirius sat down by him again. "And if you left it out, if it was talked about… Harry, Death Eaters, Voldemort do not know she exists. Your parents gave her up to protect her, you must give up this to protect her as well."

Harry closed his eyes as Sirius gently took the photo from his hands. "One day, Harry," Sirius said. "Remus will find her and bring her home and nothing will ever break you apart."

Harry stayed still long after Sirius left. Tears came to his eyes and he dashed them away. He had a sister, a little sister! "I will find her," he swore softly. "I will." He left the room and locked that away inside himself. Willow Potter, his sister was alive and living in the United States.

**oooooooooo**

**End of August**

Willow, Xander, Joyce and Giles sat down in a judge's private room at the courthouse. The judge wasn't there yet, neither was Agent Coltrane. The judge was going decide on custody over Willow. Willow was looking better, having Xander around helped her so much. Jenny wouldn't let her continue in her lessons until she was sleeping well and even then she found that Jenny had some project going where she was gone a lot. Jenny always found time for her, they talked about herbs and Willow learned about making different things with them like poultices, potions, even little packets for protection against different bad things. Jenny was beginning to look tired and it seemed like she wanted to tell Willow something but always stopped herself.

The four looked over as a beautiful woman, tall and impeccably dressed in an expensive business suit came in and sat down to one side putting her briefcase by her seat. She nodded their way as the doors opened and in came Jenny. They all smiled her way. She looked tired but she was in a very nice outfit that Giles seemed to appreciate. Willow and Xander thought she looked wonderful.

"What are you doing here?" Willow asked.

Jenny let out a little sigh when she sat down by her. "I know I should have asked you-," she started but the judge and Agent Coltrane came in.

They stood up and then with a nod they were all seated and the judge an older woman Judge Flannery looked to the papers and to them. "Willow Rosenberg?" she asked looking to the only young woman in the room.

Willow raised her hand. "Here," she replied.

The judge smiled. "It's good to meet you, young lady," she said. "I've looked through your case and while I'm not pleased about your parents or your families doings, I am pleased to see that there are some willing to help in time of need." Willow looked confused but the judge continued on. "You have amazing grades, extra curricular activities are wonderful. You have had a few brushes with delinquency this past year but with a good parental role model I think that will be easily fixed." She looked Willow's way. "Do you have something you'd care to talk about or add, Miss Rosenberg?"

Willow looked confused still. "I-, didn't Mrs. Summers ask for custody?" she got out.

Judge Flannery nodded looking to the file. "As did a Ms. Jennifer Calendar," she started and the four looked to Jenny who smiled. "And a Ms. Lilah Morgan with the firm of Wolfram and Hart."

They all looked over to the woman to the side of the room. "Your honor, if I may," Ms. Morgan said standing up. Judge Flannery nodded. "If my firm is awarded custody of Miss Rosenberg she will be attending the best schools in the world. Her grades are outstanding and she would have the best teachers and counselors available to her."

Jenny spoke up. "I know I'm not in a law firm's league your Honor," she told her. "But Willow needs to be raised in a home with someone who cares about her, her schooling is important, but shouldn't caring for her come first?"

"These are schools that only elite get into your Honor. Wolfram and Hart will take all expenses on and leave whatever comes from her parents for her future," Ms. Morgan replied giving Jenny a look of displeasure only to smile kindly for Willow who looked worried.

"Not everything is about money," Jenny replied.

"Everything is about money, Ms. Calendar," Ms. Morgan returned.

"Ladies," Judge Flannery said and the two looked her way. She looked to Joyce. "Do you have anything to add?"

Joyce looked a little surprised but nodded. "Willow has been a wonderful friend and influence to my daughter. While I wasn't prepared to take on another young woman," she said smiling to Willow. "I am more that happy to open my home up to her."

"She rocks as a mom," Xander said.

"And you are?" Judge Flannery asked.

"Xander Harris, Willow's best friend," he replied. "Will's already good at school. She needs a mom."

"Your Honor," Ms. Morgan said. "The head of these facilities will give Miss Rosenberg every care she could possibly need or want. We're thinking MIT, Yale, Harvard, Oxford for her future."

"Which she can achieve on her own quite nicely," Giles replied.

"And you are?" Judge Flannery asked.

"Rupert Giles, your Honor," he replied.

"How do you know Miss Rosenberg?" she asked.

"He's the school librarian," Xander said. "And our friend."

Judge Flannery looked to her files. "You teach at Sunnydale, Ms. Calendar. You know Mr. Giles?"

Jenny nodded. "I do."

"Miss Rosenberg, Willow," Judge Flannery asked. "Who would you prefer to stay with? This would mean full custody for the next – three years," she said stopping only to look at Willow's age.

Willow shrugged just a little and looked to her hands. "I've enjoyed staying with Joyce, but that's Buffy's home. And I don't really want to belong to some law firm, no matter what they want me to achieve. Jenny and I get along really well, and she's always been there for me."

"Ms. Calendar then," the Judge said.

Willow nodded and looked Jenny's way. "If that's okay."

Jenny smiled. "If it wasn't I wouldn't of filled out the paper work."

"Your Honor," Ms. Morgan began to argue. "She's only fourteen."

"It doesn't mean she doesn't know what she wants Ms. Morgan," the Judge said. "Personally I'm curious as to why a law firm wants her in the first place."

"That is curious, isn't it?" Giles said softly under his breath.

"It's the public's duty to protect brilliance such as what Miss Rosenberg has, your Honor," Ms. Morgan said. "A mind such as hers would go to waste in the foster care system."

"I don't intend for it to be that way," Jenny told the judge. "Willow would be like my own daughter at the least a younger sister."

"Your Honor!" Ms. Morgan said more testily now.

"As much as any adult would like to see a child in her community advance in her education, I must admit that Willow's welfare is needed more in the home, one that her parents neglected in giving her," Judge Flannery said. "With that said I award custody to Jennifer Calendar." She smiled their way. "Good luck."

Ms. Morgan left angrily after the judge had. Agent Coltrane came up to them and shook Willow's hand. "I'll still be around to see how the two of you are doing," the Agent told them.

Jenny nodded at this understanding that Willow's welfare was the Agent's first concern. Willow looked to Joyce. "You- you aren't angry with me, are you?" Willow asked.

Joyce shook her head. "No, you're right, it is Buffy's home and even then you are always welcome there." She looked to Xander's pitiful sad eyes. "You as well Xander." He smiled at that.

"How about we go get ice cream?" Jenny said looking to Giles. "You game English?"

Giles made a noise at the nickname but you could tell he was pleased. "Of course."

Jenny wrapped an arm about Willow's shoulders as they walked out. "We'll work things out, you'll see."

They left the building as Lilah Morgan watched them, her cell phone on. Her eyes were hard and she looked mad. "I thought you told me the judge was in our pocket, Gavin!" she bit out. She listened for a moment. "Flannery… what do you mean it wasn't her?!" she said as she saw the group leave her sight and she headed for her own car. "Holland Manners sent me down here to get what our clients were screaming about and now I have a little problem, which means you have a problem as well," she said as she unlocked her car throwing her briefcase in. "Do not give me that shit, Gavin! We better find something or it will be our heads! – Literally," she told him as she got in and shut the door. Her car burned out of Sunnydale back for L.A.

**To Be Continued…**


	14. Chapter 14

**A week later…**

**Los Angeles, California**

It was well after midnight as Angel watched the law firm of Wolfram and Hart from across the concrete and tree dotted concourse in front of the huge glass building. Giles had called him and told him about their interest in Willow and that was worrisome to the Watcher.

Angel had never heard of them, this law firm. But even from where he was standing he didn't have a good feeling about the place, that and the clients that went in… he had been around long enough to know they were of the evil kind.

So what did they want with Willow?

"What we watching?" a familiar voice asked.

Angel glanced over his shoulder to see Buffy come up out of the dark area by the street to lean on the other side of the tree that he had made his roosting place. "Evil law firm apparently," he told her. She was so beautiful. In all his life, alive and undead he had never felt so bound to someone like he did this short, blonde, smart-mouthed Slayer. She was a pain in the ass but she made him smile, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"Aren't all law firms evil?" Buffy asked. He looked her way and she shrugged. "I've heard things. Lawyers equal evil. Look in dictionary under mortal evil after serial killers and teachers, I believe lawyers are there."

He smiled just a little at that and she grinned his way. The two stilled as the glass doors to the building opened and some people came out. Buffy took in a breath and went into a combat stance. "Let them go," Angel whispered to her. "This is reconnaissance."

"Are you kidding?" she hissed back. "My Slayer sense is going wiggy."

Angel nodded. "Mine too," he replied. She glanced his way. "Vampire sense."

"So why are you watching and not killing them off knowing this is a fountain of evil?" she asked watching as the people got into a car and left. "That was so not right," Buffy told him.

"There are wards on this place," Angel told her. "I felt them. Evil is protected here."

Buffy looked around. "Willow-magic-like wards?"

"Dark magic, I don't know who they are but they want Willow," Angel said.

Buffy got really serious. "These are the ones that wanted custody?" she asked. Angel nodded. "Willow's not evil!"

"But she has power, Buffy," Angel told her. "The Master felt it, I felt it. I'm sure whoever runs this felt it too. And all evil things want power."

"Well they can't have her," Buffy replied.

"They'll probably try again," Angel said. "I've been listening from the sewer grates. I've heard Willow's name mentioned once in passing, but I can't be up there in the daytime to hear much more."

"Maybe we could catch someone, force them to talk," Buffy said seeing there were a few lights on in the building.

"They might not know what's going on and that would tip that we're watching," Angel warned her.

"You mean they don't already?" Buffy said giving him a look. "We're just out here watching, Vampire and Slayer watching an evil law firm. Maybe we could warn them off." Angel gave her a look and Buffy rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, but at least it's something. I don't want them 'owning' Willow, she can't even handle frogs."

Angel smiled at that. "You don't like worms."

Buffy gave him an evil look. "Worms are not normal, Angel. Most girls don't like worms."

They looked at each other for a moment then smiled. "Why don't we walk around the perimeter, maybe we'll pick something up?" Angel offered. Buffy nodded and they went at a slow walk. "How are you enjoying your summer?" he asked.

Buffy shrugged. "It's not bad. My dad's bought me a lot of clothes."

"You don't have enough now?" he asked.

Buffy gave him a look. "A woman can never have too many clothes, you who sticks to all black wouldn't know about these things."

Angel nodded slightly in agreement. "I've missed you."

Buffy smiled softly and tucked some hair back behind her ear as she blushed just a little. "I missed you too."

They walked along for a while in silence until Buffy slid her hand into his.

**oooooooooo**

**Muircross, Ireland**

Ginny Weasley looked out over the lush green cliffs as the surf pounded upon the rocks below. There were boats out at the small beach and there were thatched houses covered in ivy dotted around the small village. It was a wizarding community. Kilbrittain a muggle town was just west of it.

Tara came her way and Ginny had to smile. At Hogwarts Tara looked like an out of place shy student in her black robes and blue and silver scarf. Here she was in flowing skirts and soft colored shawls, her long blond hair blown out by the wind coming in with the tide. She belongs to this land just like all the McClay's did.

There were quite a few of them too. They had blended with muggles so they were always looked to as muggle-borns a majority of the time by purebloods. But they had propagated into a large part of southern Ireland which meant you didn't come in to hurt one unless you wanted to take on a swarm of the McClay line. Especially Geralt McClay, Tara's grandfather who was head of the McClay clan.

"Hey," Tara said as she came her way. The American accent was still there but with three years in Ireland the brogue was weaving its way in.

Ginny smiled. "I love this. I mean - I love the Burrow, but it's nothing like this," Ginny told her.

Tara smiled back as she stood by her and looked out over the Irish Sea. "I'm surprised you wanted to come since Harry's in England."

Ginny glared her way and Tara smiled a little wider. "You didn't tell anyone, did you?" Ginny asked.

Tara giggled. "That you like him?" She rolled her eyes and slid her arm into her best friend's. "Hardly, Ron would throw a fit and Hermione would think you were crazy."

"Besides, he likes Cho," Ginny said with a sigh as they walked along the coast. She watched her friend. "I'm surprised you've found no one to 'hang your heart on', as the girls in my room say."

Tara shrugged as she looked to the grass as they walked along. "Why step in the way with destiny?" she said softly.

Ginny looked confused. "Destiny?"

Tara sighed. "My ma – mom says that I'm destined to one soul."

"Aren't we all?" Ginny asked looking more confused.

"What if you were destined to Draco Malfoy?" Tara asked her and Ginny looked horrified. "See?" Tara told her. "What if my destiny is with someone horrible?"

"Why would you be destined to them?" Ginny asked. "Wouldn't destiny put you with someone you wanted?" She looked to Tara and closed her eyes. "I see. What if it's a boy?" Tara had confided to her after they had gotten into some firewhiskey at school that she was attracted to girls. Ginny replied that she wished she was too; it would be easier than dealing with dense-headed boys, especially Harry who was in love with Cho Chang. The next day after they were sober Ginny assured her it didn't make any difference if she was gay or not. So long as they were always friends. Being a half-blood and gay, that was something different, so they never really mentioned it to anyone. Not even Hermione.

Tara glanced her way and shrugged. "What if," she replied. Sometimes Tara seemed years older than she actually was.

Ginny sighed. "England's getting messy. Everyone's hung up about you-know-who," she told her changing the subject.

"Voldemort," Tara replied and Ginny winced. "It's a name. There are worse names out there," Tara said softly. "Harry says it."

"Harry didn't even know who he was until a few years ago," Ginny said. She sighed. "He's so brave."

Tara smiled as she did the same sigh. "Oh Harry, I love you so much," she said doing a fairly good job of mimicking Ginny's English accent.

"Shut it you," Ginny said warning her with a smile on her face.

"Please kiss me Harry," Tara said and Ginny chased her around over the grassy foothills until Tara's grandmother found them for breakfast. They were grass stained but laughing and breathing hard from the chase.

"This is why I came," Ginny told her wrapping her arm about Tara's waist. Back home everyone was gloomy and tense and that house was scary.

**oooooooooo**

**Sunnydale…**

"I can't believe you bought this," Buffy said holding up a fuzzy, hideous pink and green shirt.

"Oh well, my mom bought that when I was about ten," Willow replied looking at it. "What's wrong with it?"

Buffy looked her way like she was crazy, the two of them were in Willow's old bedroom. Her new room at Jenny's was done as well as all the legal paperwork. The Rosenberg's house was up for sale and Willow and Buffy were cleaning everything out of Willow's room and what she wanted from the rest of the house. There were boxes around, most of them full but clothes were scattered about all over the place. "Will," she said gently knowing that her friend didn't understand fashion that much. "You're fifteen; fifteen year olds don't wear stuff like this."

"Oh… I knew that," Willow said uncomfortably. Buffy gave her another look and Willow shifted. "Maybe not."

Buffy smiled. She had piled up to one side what Willow couldn't keep. It was about eighty percent of all her clothing. "You and I are going to go shopping in these last few days of our summer vacation and we're going to get you a whole new wardrobe."

"Wardrobe of what?" Xander said coming in with a box of old cereal open and he had some of it in his hand. "Will, there's like four boxes of wine down in the basement."

"Yeah," Willow said tucking a lock of her red hair back. Jenny had convinced her to get it trimmed. It was still long but closer to her shoulder than her lower back. It looked good on her. "Giles said he'd buy it," she told him. They looked her way and she shrugged. "I offered it to him but he said it would be better to put money towards my education."

"Speaking of which," Buffy said. "Angel and I checked out that Wolfy place in L.A. for a few weeks."

"Alone?" Xander asked suspiciously. "As in you and Angel alone in L.A."

"At night even," Willow said digging in a little at that. He professed he was over Buffy all summer but she knew he wasn't. It was getting tiring.

"You and Angel alone at night? Where was your dad?" Xander asked loudly.

"Chill Xander," Buffy told him firmly. "We were watching this law firm, not making out in the dark." Not all the time, she told herself. "That place is major wiggins Will," she told the redhead. "Evilness everywhere."

"What do they want with me then?" Willow asked as she sat down on her bed surrounded by all her stuff.

"Angel's thinking power, which you are of the having," Buffy replied.

Willow looked a little pale as she clutched to a teddy bear that was in a box. "I, they can't do anything now that Jenny's got custody, right?" she asked softly.

"They could try to get it, but most judges can't or won't reverse something like that," Buffy said. "It has to be to a review board I think." Her friends looked her way. "I wanted to see what would happen if my dad tried for custody," she told them.

"We won't let them take you," Xander said sitting down by Willow and hugging her.

"Thanks," Willow said.

Willow's little clock chimed the hour and Xander jumped up at it like a fire was starting somewhere. "I gotta go, but I'll help carry stuff over tomorrow morning, okay?" he said as he backed up for the door looking nervous and a little worried.

"O-kay," Buffy drew out looking a little confused.

"Family thing," he said and he was out the door and they heard the door to the house open and close a moment later.

"What was that?" Willow asked.

Buffy shrugged. "He's up to something."

Willow looked confused. "Xander?"

Buffy shrugged again. "Seen it too many times, he's up to something."

Willow jumped a little at the sound of a little buzzing sound. Buffy looked her way as Willow reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Will," Buffy said with a little smile. "You're moving on up."

Willow grinned a little as she turned the phone on. "Hey Jenny," she said into it.

Jenny was across town headed for the door to a rent by the month motel. "Willow, where are you?"

'_Buffy and I are going through my closets,'_ Willow replied over the line.

Jenny looked at her watch as she came up the step and two less than respectable people were leaving. They both glanced her over and she glared at them. "It's getting close to nine," she reminded her.

'_I was going to go patrol with Buffy, work on my magic and that… if that's okay,'_ Willow said softly.

"Okay, but eleven by the latest and make sure she walks you home," Jenny said as she caught the door as it was closing.

'_Okay,' _Willow replied. _'You'll be in too, right?'_

"Yeah," Jenny said with a smile. "I'll be there."

''_Kay, bye,'_ Willow told her.

"Bye," Jenny replied clicking her phone off and tucked it into her jacket pocket.

Willow had been staying on the couch while they redid the computer room into a room for the teenager. She had enjoyed having Willow there, she wasn't sure at first but Willow was a lot more mature than most teenagers. The only thing that showed she was a young woman was her naiveté. A good share of her innocence was believing that people were honest with you unless it was shown right to her. Buffy was the exact opposite, she believed you were evil until you proved you weren't.

"Ah," the seedy looking manager said as she came up to the glassed in counter. "Sara, I thought you'd be around."

Jenny's lip curled up, she did not like this man. He was filthy and loved his porn. She pretty much figured if someone was killed in front of him he'd frisk for the money and valuables and leave them there. And that brought her to using an alias, she had Willow to watch out for and she wasn't having someone trail her back from one of her outings. "Eddy," she replied. "Have you seen anything?"

"I been watching for weeks sweetcheeks," he said with a leering smile. "Ain't nothing through like your gypsy person you lookin' for." Jenny sighed in frustration. "I'll be one if it'll get me somethin'," he said reaching for his crotch.

"You do and I'll cut it off," she told him.

"Touchy," he said holding his hands up with a laugh.

"I'll be around again," she reminded him.

"About that," Eddy said as she began to leave. "Hundred doesn't go as long as it use to."

Jenny turned back to look at him. "For what? You haven't given me anything, so tell me how long it goes."

"All I'm sayin' is maybe without a little somethin' green to keep my interest," he said shrugging. "May not spot this gypsy of yours."

Jenny came back up to the counter and looked him right in the eye. It was scary how intense it was. "Do you know anything about gypsies, Eddy?" she asked.

"Wanderin' 'round, carnie workers right?" Eddy said.

"Car-," she stopped before she finished, her eyes were angry. She drew out her keys and sprang up a tiny Swiss army knife that hung on the keychain.

"Oh, I'm scared," Eddy said sarcastically.

Jenny pricked the end of her finger with it and with the blood drew a symbol on the glass. "Vomica per meus cruor permissum meus ero perfectus," she muttered.

"Holy shit lady!" Eddy yelled seeing the blood light up. "What the hell are you doing?"

Jenny had her talisman in her hand as looked his way. "You've been cursed," she warned him. "You want it gone; you better find who I'm looking for." She left flinging the door open.

"You can't do that!" Eddy yelled as he reached for the door to the office. It popped out into his hand and he fell on his butt. "Shit!" he said as he got up and tried to put it back in. It was the only way out.

Jenny strode out to her car and got into it and drove off. She found a place about half a mile away and parked letting herself rest. "Where the hell are you!" she said as she rubbed her aching eyes. It was turning to sunset and she didn't want to be in this neighborhood if she didn't have to. She waited ten minutes then set off for home.

She pulled into her driveway to see Giles there waiting for her. She sighed, she was tired and even though she really liked the Brit, she was just too tired to deal with whatever crisis had come up now.

He came over and opened her door for her making her smile at his gentlemanly manners and got out. "You look peaked," Giles told her.

"A little run in," Jenny replied. "Nothing to worry about."

He gently took her arm and led her up to her house. "I came to see how you and Willow were doing," he told her as she unlocked the house.

She nodded as she went in and motioned for him to follow. "We're fine; she and Buffy are patrolling tonight."

Giles nodded as he began to look nervous as he followed her inside. "I was – it occurred to me-," he stopped as he took off his glasses and looked her way. "I-I know how busy you are," he stopped again which was odd for the articulate Englishman.

Jenny got a bottle of water out and took a sip of it. "Would you like to go to dinner some time?" she asked. Giles looked her way his eyes widening. "There's a good Mexican place over on main street."

Giles nodded as a smile came. "Mexican, yes… that would be superb."

"Tomorrow night?" Jenny asked as she handed him a bottle of water and he took it only to drink half of it straight away. "Say eight?"

"Eight would be nice," Giles replied.

Jenny smiled as she went into the living room. She sat on the couch and turned the TV on. She looked back to see he was still in the kitchen smiling. "You can come in here if you want."

Giles blinked out of his reverie. "Oh, yes," he said as he came in and sat by her. Jenny smiled at this as she rested back against the couch and closed her eyes.

**oooooooooo**

"Ow!" Xander said as he raised his head up too fast banging it on the ceiling of Cordelia's car.

"What did you sit up for?" Cordelia asked.

"I gotta shift," he told her.

They were in the back seat and over the summer Xander had gone from virginal sacrifice contestant to manly non virgin sacrifice with Cordelia. He had a 'date' with Cordelia at seven and he was late because he had been helping Willow with her stuff, so it didn't start out well with Cordelia mad at him already.

"You're not that big," Cordelia said condescendingly.

"You said I was bigger than Kevin!" he bit out. It was so dark up in the hills he could hardly see his hand in front of his face. Cordelia insisted they weren't going to the normal make out places.

"Well I lied," Cordelia said testily.

"Ow!" Xander yipped out. "Do you mind?"

"I'm just as naked as you buster!" Cordelia shot back.

"Yeah what if I grabbed this!" he said.

There was rustling around and some slapping. "That hurt!" Cordelia said and Xander let out a cry of pain as she hit him hard. "You're a wimp!" she told him.

"I bet you've never even seen Kevin's-," Xander was cut off when something slipped and the horn honked.

"Watch it!" Cordelia said. "Don't you dare ruin my car!"

"Why do I even put my self through this?" Xander asked as he shifted again.

"Yeah, why?" Cordelia growled as she shifted underneath him. "You're a stupid moron that hangs around with two losers and I have no idea in hell why I'm even attracted to you!"

The sounds stilled. "You are?" Xander asked.

"Oh shut up," Cordelia said. "Next thing I know you'll start on about Willow this, Buffy that."

"But you are attracted to me," Xander replied. There was a long silence. "You are," he said happily. "Ow!" he cried out as she hit him hard again. It was followed by kissing and a foot up against the window of the car.

**oooooooooo**

"So what do you think Xander's up to?" Buffy asked.

Willow shrugged as she stirred her slurpee. Buffy let her have sugar but no caffeine. Willow got weird on caffeine. "I don't know. I know it's not a family emergency, he wouldn't go for one of those." Buffy nodded. They walked along in silence. "You okay?" Willow asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Why?"

Willow nodded to a part of the cemetery they were wandering through. "That's where we buried the Master, Holy water, some spell to consecrate the ground."

Buffy turned and headed for it. Willow kept up with her but hung back a little letting Buffy look the unmarked grave over. "Buffy?" Willow asked softly.

"Yeah, it's no biggie," Buffy said as she turned away from it towards her friend. "Wanna go by the Bronze?"

Willow nodded. "Sure, it's been quiet all summer."

Buffy nodded at that and they walked on. Willow finished her drink as they came up to the Bronze. Buffy paid for both of them and motioned Willow on through. A group was playing up on the stage, they weren't bad. "You want?" Buffy asked her friend.

"Water," Willow told her. "I have enough sugar in me now to keep me up all night."

Buffy smiled a little at that and wandered to the bar. Willow looked around and saw there were lots of high school kids there. She was going to be a Sophomore now. No lowly Freshman. She smiled as she thought about going back, she loved school. She watched Buffy come back towards her with a fruity looking drink and a bottle of water. She wondered what was up with her friend; Buffy seemed so quiet at times, like she was just thinking all the time about stuff. She seemed sad.

"Here you go," Buffy said sitting down by her, she handed the water over.

"Thanks," Willow said as she took the cap off and sipped it while Buffy sipped through her straw.

She wasn't quippy Buffy, or sarcastic funny Buffy. She was quiet, introspective Buffy. It was weird.

"That guy's checking you out," Buffy said as she nodded to the stage.

Willow looked up to see a boy a few years older than her, short and lean with brown hair and the tips were spiky and green. He was playing lead guitar. He wasn't bad looking, but he wasn't a girl. "I bet he's checking you out," Willow said with a smile.

Buffy smiled more this time. "Nah, you're a hottie Will. When we go shopping tomorrow, the boys are going to see you for the first time."

Willow made a face and shook her head. "No."

"Yes," Buffy replied.

Willow shook her head more. "I'm not a you, Buffy. I'm not curvy or pretty-."

"You are," Buffy replied. "You just have to see it, Will."

"What if I don't want to?" Willow asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You will, you'll see." She looked around and saw Angel hanging out in the shadows. "Listen, there's not much going on, why don't we go home and I'll see you early tomorrow and we can move everything."

Willow watched her friend for a moment the shrugged. "Okay." It was the weirdness that Buffy was in at the moment.

The walk home was quiet. Buffy was staring around her while Willow watched Buffy. They made it to Willow and Jenny's. "I'll see you tomorrow," Willow said.

Buffy nodded and gave her a wave. "See ya."

It wasn't long before Buffy was back in another cemetery. She saw Angel waiting for her. "Do you want to talk?" Angel asked her.

Buffy scowled as she grabbed his lapels and pushed him into the tree nearby and kissed him roughly. "No," she got out between kisses. Angel reached for her hands but she looked up at him. She wasn't ready to talk, they had talked a bit in L.A. but now they were in Sunnydale together. They had kissed and made out while watching Wolfram and Hart and Buffy made believe there was no Master. But here, his grave wasn't too far away. "Not yet," she told him.

Angel nodded and slid his arms about her and kissed her just as deeply. Neither of them saw the creepy old man watching with binoculars from the other side of the cemetery.

**oooooooooo**

**Translation:**

cursed by my blood let my will be done

**To Be Continued…**


	15. Chapter 15

**The start of Sophomore Year at Sunnydale High…**

Giles sat in the Library after the first day of school watching as Buffy worked out on a wooden training dummy. She had jumped, flipped, kicked, and quarterstaffed him back into the table and now she was pushing herself too hard as she shot rapid punches at the dummy.

"Buffy," he called out. She didn't stop and he stood. "Buffy that's enough!" he told her. Buffy kicked it and it broke scattering pieces of wood across the library floor. Giles took off his glasses as she panted from her exertions. "It's safe to say, you stayed in shape," Giles said putting his glasses back on.

"I'm ready," she said as she found her water bottle and drank most of it. She looked his way with eyes that were harder than he had ever seen on her. "Whatever they got, I'm ready for it." She wiped off her mouth and packed her things up and headed for home.

Giles watched her leave; he wasn't sure what to do for her. The Watcher hadn't seen her all summer. She called up once in a while to tell him about the vampires she killed in L.A. but that was all she'd say and she'd hang up. From that evening's session it seemed like she was stronger than before she met the Master.

She came to school with circles under her eyes only to fix them with make up when he would ask Buffy what was wrong. Willow had mentioned showing Buffy the Master's grave and the Slayer's attitude change. It seemed Buffy had Master issues, and Giles didn't know how to make her deal with them.

**oooooooooo**

**That Evening…**

Willow and Xander sat in the Bronze listening to Cibo Matto. Willow was smashing the ice cream she had gotten before they came in the club into a paste as Xander watched between her and the people dancing. Willow was in a nice looking outfit, a tan printed skirt and a darker reddish tan blouse, one that befitted her age yet looked very tasteful. At least what Willow insisted was the limit of what Buffy could pick out for her when they went shopping.

It had been fun, but Buffy just wasn't herself. And as the days toward school came closer the more she closed in on herself. That afternoon at school had been one of them. Buffy insisted she didn't need any help patrolling and she lit into Cordelia, who of course had been nasty, but it showed how Buffy use to be when she lived in L.A. before the slaying gig came up. That was scary; Buffy could be even nastier than Cordelia.

"You gonna tell me or stab a hole through the bottom of that cup?" Xander asked her.

Willow glanced his way as she came out of her thoughts then looked to her cup, it was all liquidly now, her ice cream and her plastic spoon was digging at the bottom of it. She sighed and looked his way. "Buffy's different," she replied.

Xander shrugged. "We all are, the Master was scary, Will."

"But she's mean, at least to Cordelia, which normally I wouldn't mind," Willow said when he looked her way. "But that's not our Buffy."

Xander patted her arm. "She'll be okay, Will," he assured her as he waved to someone.

Willow looked to see it was Buffy. She was dressed like normal for patrolling as she came over to their table. "Hey Buffy, can I get you something?" Xander asked.

"No thanks," she told him. She looked around the area. "Have you seen Angel?" she asked them.

"Why?" Willow asked with a smile.

"Patrolling, he said he'd help," Buffy replied.

"We can help," Xander told her. "We don't need Deadboy."

"No!" Buffy told them in a tone they hadn't really heard with her, it was serious and strict. "No, you guys have fun, this is my job not yours." She moved off when she saw Angel coming into the Bronze.

"Ooookay," Xander said looking bewildered at this. So did Willow. "Who does she think she is?"

"The Slayer," Willow replied. "I went on patrol with her a couple of times when she first came back, but the last few times she told me to stay home."

Xander gave Willow a look; Buffy wasn't letting a witch back her up? That was weird. He watched as Cordelia watched him and he looked to the table top. What was weirder was his relationship with Cordelia. She was hot, and there were things she taught him about sex he didn't even know existed… He looked to Willow who was looking dejected and had set her cup of melted ice cream aside. If she found out about him and Cordelia… Perish the thought. His eyes went back to see Cordelia leave the Bronze and a part of him wanted to follow.

"Let's get out of here," Xander told her. Willow shrugged in agreement. The band was good but she wasn't in the mood.

They headed off as the young man with the green tipped hair came over to their table to see it was empty. He looked around and his shoulders slumped as he headed back into the crowds.

**oooooooooo**

Angel watched Buffy as they strode along the paths towards the cemetery. It wasn't the usual leisurely walk Buffy normally took as she patrolled. This was long quick strides, and for as short at the blonde was, Angel had to use all his vampire stamina to keep up with her. "Is this a race?" he finally asked as they hit the third cemetery.

Buffy looked back at him. "You said you wanted to help," she told him.

Angel sighed. "What's going on?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?" she replied as she continued on at her lightening speed pace.

"You're like the short, grumpy hunter," Angel said. Last week they had been making out on patrols, and then 'bam!' she just shut him out other than patrolling. "Where are the smart ass remarks? The saunter through the cemeteries while you try to find a place to do your nails?"

Buffy walked faster, her whole body tense. "She doesn't live here anymore." He heard her say.

**oooooooooo**

Willow came with Xander following in. The lights were off and Jenny wasn't home.

"It's a little wild, you living with Jenny," Xander told her.

"You make it sound like we're lovers, not guardian and ward," Willow replied as she pushed that thought out of her mind. Before she had moved in there had been the occasional dream of what Jenny might be like in between ones of Cordelia. But now… that was changing fast. Jenny was really cool, but she was in charge and unlike her parents, Jenny wanted to know what was going on and Willow had a curfew and had to let her know what was going on with her life. They even ate breakfast and dinner together. Willow found she really liked it.

"Yeah," Xander said going to the fridge and looking through it. "That would be on all the internet skank sites fast enough."

Willow made a face at that as she booted up her lap top she had gotten, more like wheedled out of Jenny seeing they were both computer geeks. "You're disgusting, Xander," she told him.

Xander smiled her way. "That's my job, a guy's job is to be disgusting and think about sex all the time." He took out a piece of chicken and took a big bite out of it. "Where's Jenny at, anyway?"

Willow looked about then fished out her cell phone and dialed up Jenny's number. "She should be home, but sometimes-," she stopped as she listened to it ring. It was a long while before she turned it off. "Maybe she's out and can't hear it."

Xander shrugged as he took the phone from her and looked to it. "That's just cool she got you one." The two looked at each other. Yeah, Xander's parents were morons all around. He smiled and made a call on it. Willow watched as it rang and he hung it up then repeated it.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Calling the folks," Xander said redialing. "Give them something to do." Willow rolled her eyes at that but didn't say anything.

**oooooooooo**

**The next evening…**

Willow sat at the library table with Xander; she was looking through a few of Giles's old books. She wasn't that interested in them, in studying. That was wrong, she always loved to study. But Buffy was blowing her and Xander off, like they weren't worthy of being a Scooby. Or that there should even be the Scooby Gang at all. And in class Buffy was giving her the cold shoulder. That hurt. Jenny had told her it would take time for Buffy to get over what it was, but to just ride it out. She would, but it still hurt.

Willow made a face as she looked to her backpack where her cell phone was. Jenny had gotten it for her for emergencies and to keep in contact with her. She had tried to get a hold of Jenny that morning after she had failed to come home that night. She became more worried when Jenny hadn't shown up to school that day and Snyder had hunted her down and asked about where she was. Willow honestly didn't know. Giles didn't either, he had made some calls and Jenny wasn't around, but he told Willow Jenny could take care of herself. If she wasn't home tonight they would look for her. Giles was worried but he had double duty, Buffy wasn't herself and something was going on.

Giles came out of his office looking through a book as Buffy came storming into the library. "Good, you're here," he told her. They were going to start looking for Jenny.

"The Master's gone," Buffy told him coldly.

"Excuse me?" Giles asked as Willow and Xander turned their attention to them.

"Gone, as in not there, a vacancy is available," Buffy replied. Her arms were folded and she looked mad as if it was the Watcher's fault.

"What would someone want with the Master's bones?" Willow asked as Giles just looked stunned.

"A trophy, a horrible conversation piece?" Xander offered trying to lighten the mood up.

"They're gonna bring him back, Giles," Buffy told her Watcher as she tried not to yell pacing back and forth in front of the Englishman. "They're gonna bring the Master back to life and I seem to recall you telling me he was history."

Giles took off his glasses looking absolutely confused. "Buffy, I-I-I've never heard of a revivification ritual being successful."

"But there is one right?" Buffy countered back getting more angry. "Thanks for the warning."

"Well, Buffy-," Willow started only to be interrupted.

"Look this is Slayer stuff, okay? Could we have just a little less from the civilians, please?" Buffy bit out at her.

"Okay that's just about enough!" Xander said coming in defense of Willow who looked horrified Buffy had turned that anger on her.

Buffy shot Xander a look as a rock came crashing through one of the library windows. Giles, Xander and Willow ducked for cover as Buffy didn't even flinch catching the rock single-handedly. It had a choker around it holding a paper to it. Buffy opened it and read it out loud. "Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal."

"That's Cordelia's," Xander said looking to the choker. "They're going to fix her dinner?" he asked not understanding. The others looked his way; he realized what it really meant and looked embarrassed. "I'll pretend I didn't say that."

"So what do we do?" Willow asked and they looked to Buffy.

"I go to the Bronze and save the day," Buffy replied as she went to the counter and picked up her jacket.

"I don't like that plan," Xander told her.

"Nor I," Giles said.

"Yeah? Well you guys aren't going!" Buffy told them forcefully pointing a finger their way. "I can't do it anymore! I can't look after the three of you guys while I'm fighting!"

"Now see, that's just mean, Buffy," Xander said just as angry. "Willow could kick your ass with magic and Giles is trained in weapons."

"And you?" Buffy asked facing him. Xander was just a normal guy with no real training in anything.

"Stop it!" Willow said standing up looking worried and scared as her two best friends fought. Something she though she'd never see. "Just stop it!"

Buffy closed her mouth. "This is my fight," she warned them she grabbed her bag and stiff-armed her way out the doors.

"I think she's possessed," Willow told them.

**oooooooooo**

The three sat around the table for a while after Buffy had gone. Willow was staring at some book; she wasn't sure what it was. Xander was throwing pencils at the ceiling seeing if they would catch in the tiles and Giles was the only one really studying.

"Ah, ah ha! I've found it. The spell! To revive a vampire they need his bones… which they have. And… um-," Giles read it with a furrowed brow trying to translate it correctly. "They need the blood of the one closest to him."

"So what, Buffy's right?" Xander asked. "He killed her, that's gotta do something in the closeness thing, right?"

Giles picked up another book. "No, nearest, physically… the, the person or persons who were with him, the Master when he…died." He looked up at the end of his sentence his eyes held there at the mezzanine above them.

Xander and Willow looked his way. "So what… the Bronze is a trap. We know that but 'want-to-get-myself-killed-Buffy' doesn't seem to care," Xander said sarcastically.

"Not for her," Giles said quietly, his voice was scared.

"She wasn't closest, Jenny, Cordelia, Giles… and me," Willow said to Xander as she looked to see what Giles was staring at and she stood up. "For us," she got out finishing what Giles was trying to say.

"Holy crap!" Xander said standing up so fast his chair flew back when he realized what they were looking at. There were several vampires on the upper level of the library looking down at them.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Willow called out pointing to the scariest looking vampire and a whitish green beam shot out and the vampire fell over completely immobile. That spurred everyone into action; vampires jumped the railing, most of them heading for Willow. She screamed as Giles jumped in front of her picking up her chair he hit one with it. "Reducto!" she screamed out pointing at another vampire as it came at them. It blew up into ashes taking another vampire with it. Willow hadn't cast much of anything after the Hellmouth incident other than working with Jenny a little but this, she could feel her magic as it left her, swirls of bright reds and blues but there was a hint of dark to them now.

Xander was on the other side of the table and he ran for the book cage with weapons in it. He didn't get far when a hand caught him on the back of his shirt and threw him across the room to land on the table forcing him and the table to turn violently and he was unconscious on the floor.

"Incendio! Incendio!" Willow got out throwing two spells at vampires who were close to her and Giles. They lit up in flames screaming thrashing about. Willow turned to move away and a fist hit her in the face and she went down.

"Willow!" Giles cried out as he had staked one vampire and fought off another. He was caught up and knocked out.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy strode quickly along the dark streets for the Bronze; she didn't slow down as she felt a presence behind her. "Y'know, being stalked isn't really a big turn-on for girls," she called out to her follower.

She turned to see Angel coming along. "What's going on Buffy?" he asked. "Things seemed to be going well."

"That was before, okay," she interrupted him. "Things were different. You're friends dug up the Master and now they're going to bring him back and they have Cordelia to get me where they want me." Buffy continued walking on and Angel came up and put a hand on her shoulder, she knocked it off.

"Why are you riding me?" Angel asked her.

"Because I don't trust you!" she told him accusingly. "You're a vampire."

"You don't trust me," he said with a look that it was the stupidest thing she could have said to him. "You have to trust someone. How are you going to do it alone?"

"I trust me," Buffy replied as she glared him down and he glared back. "You think you can take me?" Buffy asked getting a scary smirk on her face as she tilted her chin up a little and she was rocking on her feet both of her fists up and ready for a fight. "C'mon, you vampire, me Slayer… why don't we find out?"

Angel looked at her oddly, like she had gone a little crazy. "I'm not going to take you," he replied. "What the hell's wrong with you? You think I'm in league with whoever's trying to raise up the Master?"

Buffy's jaw tensed and she put her fists down, if anyone hated the Master it was Angel. "Just stay out of my way," she warned him as she turned the corner for the Bronze.

"Happy to oblige," he told her but still followed as then went in through the main entrance. They look around at a dark and empty Bronze. Over by the stage in a corner a long haired brunette is crying.

Buffy stopped and looked around. "That's not Cordelia," she told him as she strode up and grabbed the girl, turning her around.

The crying turned to laughter; it's a vampire with her game face on. "Cordelia couldn't make it," she told them.

"Where is she?" Buffy demanded holding the vampire tightly in her fists.

"I'm not supposed to tell," the vampire sneered at her.

"I don't like this," Angel said coming up behind Buffy. "There's the bait. Where's the hook?"

The vampire fought with Buffy trying to get the upper hand but the Slayer hit her a few times and slammed her onto her back pinning her down with a foot on her neck. "You're right," Buffy agreed with him. "Why would they send just one?" She looked to Angel for a long moment, her mind working. She took her foot off the vampire and ran for the door. "Watch her! Don't kill her unless you have to!" She slammed the door to the Bronze open.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Angel asked as he grabbed the vampire.

"I'll be back!" Buffy called back to him.

Angel sat with the vampire for about half an hour until Buffy came back with Xander huffing and puffing behind her. He had a bloody nose and split lip. Xander leaned over gasping for breath as Buffy came up and grabbed the vampire from Angel, she slammed her incredibly hard into a beam that held the building up, and the vampire winced from it.

"Where are they?" Buffy demanded.

"Where's who?" Angel asked.

Xander took in a few breaths as Buffy beat on the vampire some more. "Willow, Giles, Cordelia and Jenny," he told Angel. "Ritual to bring back the Master."

"Damn it," Angel muttered as Xander nodded in agreement.

Buffy slammed the vampire hard onto the floor and the vampire looked to be in pain. "One more time. Where are they?" Buffy said to her.

"You're too late," the vampire told her. "Your friends are dead."

Buffy flipped her up and over onto a pool table, balls shot out all over the room and the wood of the table cracked a little, if the vampire had been mortal she would probably be dead. "Tell me where they are!" she yelled at the vampire.

The vampire laughed in her face. "What are you going to do? Kill me?"

Buffy's lip curled up as she ripped off her necklace- her cross. "As a matter of fact…," she said as she shoved it into the vampire's mouth, "yes." She slapped her hand over the vampire's mouth as smoke came up around her fingers and the vampire screamed in pain. "But since I'm not gonna kill you any time soon, the question becomes, how are we gonna pass the time until then?" she told the vampire seriously.

Xander and Angel's eyes were wide open watching this new side of Buffy.

**oooooooooo**

Willow woke up feeling a little sick and her face hurt. She was comfy in a nice warm spot and she realized it was Xander scent. She heard fighting and the normal noises of Buffy. She began to remember what had happened and she opened her eyes to see Xander was holding her. To the side Giles was holding Jenny; no one was attending to Cordelia who was unconscious. "Xander?" Willow asked tiredly.

He looked down at her. "Will? You okay?" he asked back.

"Icky, but still alive," she told him as she patted his arm. "So are you, all's good." She looked up at him. "Is all with the good?"

He nodded to the scene below. "Not sure yet."

Slowly Willow stood up with Xander's help. Jenny came her way as Giles looked to Cordelia. "You okay?" Jenny asked her.

Willow nodded as they looked to see Buffy set some scary black vampire on fire with a torch and he screamed at her right before he brought a sledgehammer up to strike her with only to have the flames consume him and he burned up into ash. There was a loud clang as the sledgehammer hit the floor. The stick Buffy had went to the floor soon after as she looked around then over to the Master's skeleton.

"It's over," Willow said.

"No, it's not," Xander replied solemnly. Willow didn't understand half of what was going on having been unconscious for the second half of Buffy's anger management problems.

Buffy went and picked up the sledgehammer and with a powerful swing she shattered the Master's skull to pieces. She struck it over and over again until all that was left was little pieces. The sledgehammer fell to the floor again and Buffy burst into tears as she let it all go. Angel was waiting and Buffy turned in to lean against him and he held her gently as she began to cry.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy left the warehouse they had been taken to with Angel. That was about all Willow knew about where her friend had gone. Giles brought her and Jenny home and the two adults talked as Willow went into the bathroom to check on her face. On the way home Xander had explained what had happened, when they parted he took Cordelia home.

Willow could understand when she learned she was adopted and a witch and her parents just up and left her. Talk about your world falling apart. But no one ever wanted her dead. That would be a little scary. She looked to the bruise on her cheek from the vampire hitting her and she sighed. "Too bad I can't heal that up," she said to herself in the mirror. "Too bad I can't heal Buffy."

"You can't heal fears of the heart," Jenny said from the doorway. Willow looked back at her. "I think the worst of it's happened though."

Willow nodded. "I wish it hadn't, it's not right for Buffy to have to go through something like that."

Jenny smiled. "That is called growing up, especially for a Slayer, or so I'm told," she told her. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked seriously. Willow nodded to her. "I'm here if you need me, get ready for bed."

Willow nodded again. "I'm glad you're okay," she told her. "I- I couldn't find you. I didn't know where to look."

Jenny came in and hugged her lightly. "Don't worry about it; you did the best you could, that's what counts. And thank you." With that Jenny left her alone.

Willow sighed as she touched her bruised cheek once more and began to tenderly wash her face. She winced as she felt a sting in the back of her right hand and looked to it. It seemed fine but it hurt. That was odd.

**oooooooooo**

"That was really brave, what you did," Cordelia told Xander as he walked her home.

Xander shrugged. "All in a day's work."

Cordelia watched him as they went up the path to her big house. She knew it was nothing like Xander's. He lived in a poor section of town with parents who probably had menial jobs. Still she liked him, a lot. She kissed his cheek and went inside. She shut the door and leaned again it and sighed before she went upstairs. Not like she'd ever tell him that.

Xander himself liked her, but if he had to pick between saving Willow or saving Cordelia… Willow would win. Even Willow and Buffy… Willow would win. If there was one person who was always there for him it was Willow, his rock, his buddy, his best friend. He looked back to Cordelia house then up to the night sky. It had been a close one that night. He hoped Buffy was over it.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy walked with Giles the next morning along the grass lawns of Sunnydale High. It was a nice day but Buffy felt anything but nice, she felt miserable and stupid. She hadn't dared to go pick up Willow for school.

"I don't think I can face them," Buffy told her Watcher.

Giles sighed a little as he looked her way. "Of course you can," he replied.

Buffy gave him a look. "I can't! What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry I almost got you killed. What's the homework'?"

"Punishing yourself like this is pointless. Willow wasn't mad at you, more worried than anything," Giles reminded her.

"I was a moron, Giles," she told him. "I put my best friends in mortal danger because I was insane."

"What are you going to do? Crawl inside a cave for the rest of your life?" he asked her.

Buffy looked his way with a sad smile. "Does it have cable?"

"Buffy, you acted wrongly, I admit that. But believe me, that was hardly the worst mistake you'll ever make," Giles said then stopped. "Uh… that wasn't quite as comforting as it was meant to be."

Buffy nodded understanding as she saw her friends at one of the benches outside. "Well, points for effort. See ya," she told him.

Giles watched her head in the direction of Xander and Willow. "Good luck," he said.

Buffy came up gingerly to her friends. They both looked her way. Bruise on the cheek and split lip was evidence of their fight last night.

"Hey Buffy," Willow said as she moved her backpack out of the way.

"Hey," Buffy replied timidly.

"We saved you a seat," Willow told her patting the space between them.

Buffy looked to it, then to them and sat down between them waiting for the berating and 'told you so's'.

"There's a rumor going around that, uh, Mr. Cox is the most boring teacher in the entire world," Xander told them as he took out a king sized candy bar and began to unwrap it. "Like, I think he won a belt or something," he finished just before he took a big bite of the bar.

Buffy felt relief go through her, she smiled his way. "Like, yes," she told him.

"Well, I hear he nods off a lot," Willow told them. "So that's a plus."

"So, we Bronzin' it tonight?" Xander asked after he swallowed.

"Wednesday, it's kinda beat," Willow told him.

"Well, we could grind our enemies into talcum powder with a sledgehammer," Xander said grinning at Buffy. "But, gosh, we did that last night." They smile at each other and Buffy looked absolutely relieved that everything was okay between them. "Hey, how about miniature golf?" Xander offered up.

"There's no course here," Willow said as the school bell rang and they got up and gathered their stuff and headed for class.

"Okay, uh, miniature tennis!" Xander replied as Willow slid her arm into Buffy's as they walked along beside him. "A very tiny form of tennis that we could invent…"

The door shut as they went inside, the school year had begun.

**oooooooooo**

**Hogwarts, the Second Weekend of the School Year…**

Harry felt like his skull was going to split open. It was getting late in the evening and most of the other students in Gryffindor Tower had gone to bed. "You know," Harry said to Ron who was beside him looking as dejected as Harry felt over the mass of books and scrolls and quills around them, "we should probably do more homework during the week." They had finished Professor McGonagall's homework and were on some boring assignment from Professor Sinistra about the moons of Jupiter.

"Yeah," Ron said tiredly as he looked Harry's way. The redhead's eyes were bloodshot. "Look… shall we just ask Hermione if we can look at what she's done?"

The two looked over at Hermione who was across the table from them. She looked different this year, her hair was back in a clasp and completely under control and she even wore a little make up. Everyone saw what was buried deep down, a beautiful young woman. Her time in Bulgaria had been fun for her, she and Viktor were an official item, it even said so on Viktor's collectable Quidditch Card and many of the girls at Hogwarts were incredibly jealous of her. But in normal Hermione fashion she didn't care. For now, her concern was writing to Viktor, getting through her classes, helping Harry with trying to rid the world of the evil little toad Professor Umbridge, hanging out with them and Ginny and Tara. At the moment she was reading something or other with Crookshanks on her lap.

However, Hermione had stated to them the first week of school that if they were going to slack off she wasn't going to help them, and she hadn't. Harry sighed as he looked to Ron. "No, you know she won't let us," he told his friend.

Ron sighed just as heavily as Harry had as he looked around the common room to see there were a few stragglers like them who were working fervently to get their homework done before the weekend was gone.

Hermione looked their way as Crookshanks jumped down and went up the stairs in the girls' dormitory. It was nearly half past eleven and she yawned. "Nearly done?" she asked as she closed her book.

"No," Ron replied grumpily.

Hermione started to correct his work and Harry let out a slow breath as they started to argue. Harry hated homework, he hated school. When he first came to Hogwarts five years ago he was excited to be away from the Dursley's and he had made friends with others. But after last year it was different. There were some who were the same to him, but lots more treated him like the plague preferring to believe the Ministry and the Daily Prophet crap about him.

The Ministry had put him on trial for misuse of magic outside of school for an underage wizard. He was up against a Dementor and there were so many filthy, evil Death Eaters on the Ministry council he couldn't believe it. He almost lost his wand until Dumbledore came and stood up for him. But that had cost the Headmaster; the Ministry had forced him off the Wizengamot and to take Professor Dolores Umbridge on as the teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. And the toady woman was making a right botch of it. No magic in DADA! None! It was all stupid reading stuff about things that didn't even matter!

Then detention had come. Harry had defended himself about what had happened with the Triwizard Cup and Cedric and Voldemort, and Umbridge called him an out and out liar. And her detention hadn't come without a price. Harry looked to his hand; there on the back of it he could still see the scars from Umbridge's evil quill. What he wrote on paper it carved into his hand. 'I will not tell lies'. A whole week he had spent doing that, but he'd be damned if he was ever going to show her that it hurt.

What was worse, Dumbledore did nothing to stop her. After the first day of school and the grand feast he was no where to be seen staying up in his offices. It was Harry and his friends on their own. Harry felt betrayed by him for that and not being honest with him.

That turned his thoughts to the one thing that made him want to leave. His sister, Willow. He smiled a little at that and felt his heart go up into his throat. He had a sister somewhere out there and he so badly wanted to leave this place and find her, stay wherever she was and get to know her and let her know him.

"Harry!" Hermione said bringing him back.

Harry looked her way when he saw Hermes, Percy's owl taking off, a note from the priggish traitor to the Weasley clan in Ron's hand. "What is it?" Harry asked.

"It's from Percy," Ron said. "That's his writing." He looked at it for a long moment. "What should I do with it?"

"Read it!" Harry and Hermione told him.

He did and Harry felt his anger increase so much. Percy basically told Ron that Harry was unbalanced and violent and to sever all ties with him because from what the Ministry was saying Dumbledore wasn't going to be in charge of Hogwarts much longer. Harry could have told him that! Umbridge basically ran it now!

"Well," Harry said angrily. "If you want to- what was it, sever ties with me - I swear I won't get violent."

Ron held out his hand. "Give it back," he told him. Harry handed it over. "Percy," he said as he began to tear up the note "is the world's biggest git!" He tore it into big pieces and looked to Harry. "Come on, we've got to get this homework of Sinistra's finished before dawn."

Harry looked relieved and Hermione looked at Ron with an odd expression on her face then sighed. "Give them here," she told him.

"What?" Ron asked as the two boys looked her way.

"Give them to me, I'll look through them and correct them," she told them.

"Are you serious?" Ron asked. "Hermione, you're a life-saver. What can I-?"

She stopped him as she took the essays. "You can say you'll never leave your homework this late again," she told them as she sat down with them.

Harry sat down in another seat gratefully. "Thank a million, Hermione," he told her.

It was past midnight and all but the three had gone to bed leaving them alone in the common room. The only sound was Hermione's quill scratching on a scroll. Ron was asleep with his head planted in his folded arms on the table and Harry was looking to the fire dreaming of getting out of Hogwarts and taking all of his money out of the bank and traveling to find Willow. It was a dream that put a smile on his face. It was gone soon enough as reality came back in, Percy's note, the Daily Prophet, half the people at Hogwarts, sometimes he wondered why he hadn't gone mad already.

Harry blinked when he saw a flash in the fire and he sat up a little. It couldn't be. "Okay, rewrite this," Hermione was telling Ron, "then write this conclusion I wrote for you."

"Hermione, you are honestly the most wonderful person I've ever met," Ron told her tiredly, "and if I'm ever rude to you again-."

"-I'll know you're back to normal," Hermione finished for him. "Harry, yours it okay except for this bit at the end." She looked his way to see he was kneeling in front of the fire staring into it. Even Ron looked up from his mad writing to see what was going on. "Harry?" she asked coming over to him.

"Er… Harry, what ya doing down there?" Ron asked.

"I've just seen Sirius's head in the fire," Harry told them.

They both came over. "Like in the Triwizard's Tournament?" Hermione started. "Surely he wouldn't …" she stopped with a gasp and Ron dropped his quill as Sirius's head appeared in the fire.

"I was starting to think you would go to bed before everyone else was gone," the man told them with a smile.

"You've been popping in?" Harry asked happy to see his godfather.

"A couple of seconds every hour," Sirius replied.

"That's not very safe," Hermione told him.

"You are starting to sound like Molly, dear," Sirius told her. "You're much too young and pretty for that, Hermione. This was the only way to contact Harry without using codes. And codes can be broken." Hermione looked shocked at his complement as Sirius continued. "We should hurry incase we're discovered – about your scar," he said to Harry. "I know it can't be fun when it hurts, but it hurt all last year, didn't it?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, Dumbledore said it happened whenever Voldemort felt a powerful emotion. So maybe he was angry or something when I was in detention," he offered up.

"Now that he's back it may hurt more often," Sirius told him. Ron and Hermione winced at that and Harry ignored it.

"So you don't think it had anything to do with Umbridge?" Harry asked. He wanted something to pin on Umbridge, like being a Death Eater.

"I doubt it," Sirius told him. "I know her by reputation and she's no Death Eater."

"She's foul enough to be one," Harry told him and both Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement.

Sirius's image smiled. "The world isn't divided up into good people and Death Eaters, Harry. You should hear Remus talk about her."

"Does he know her?" Harry asked remembering Umbridge's comments on half-breeds last week in class.

"No, but she put out an anti-werewolf legislation that makes it impossible for them to get jobs," Sirius told them.

"What's she got against werewolves?" Hermione asked angrily.

"Scared of them I expect," Sirius answered. "She loathes half-humans. She wanted to go about tagging merpeople last year when there are little toerags like Kreacher about."

Harry waved off Hermione's rant he knew she was going to go into about house elves and how it wasn't right. Kreacher was a nasty one that could use some Umbridge horror in his life.

"So is that what she does in class? Teach you how to kill off half-breeds?" Sirius asked.

"No she has us reading from textbooks," Ron said glumly.

"Well that figures," Sirius replied. "The Ministry doesn't want any of you learning combat techniques."

"Why, what does Fudge think we're going to do?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore's going to start his own private army to take them on?"

"That's exactly what he thinks," Sirius said.

Ron made a face as he sat back. "That's the most stupidest thing I've ever heard of, and that includes all the stuff Luna Lovegood comes up with."

"So Fudge is stopping us from learning Defense Against the Dark Arts so we don't use our skills against the Ministry," Hermione said.

Sirius nodded. "Yep, Fudge thinks Dumbledore will stop at nothing to get power. He gets more paranoid about it as the days go on. It won't be long before Dumbledore is arrested on some trumped-up charge."

Harry set his jaw as he remembered Percy's letter to Ron. Hermione was asking about Hagrid and if he knew where the groundskeeper had gone. Sirius offered to come and stay as a dog again but Harry and Hermione both vetoed that. Sirius was already in enough trouble that would surely get him caught.

"Sirius, can I talk to you alone," Harry asked, looking to his friends. They looked curious but soon the books and scrolls were gone and they went to their dorm rooms.

"What is it Harry?" Sirius asked.

"You told me to stay in school," Harry replied. "I can't, I don't want to, Sirius. I'm so sick of it all. I can go find W-."

"-No!" Sirius said stopping him from saying Willow's name. "I know it's bad, but no."

"Why not?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore- I haven't seen him, he hasn't help at all with Umbridge, it's a nightmare here."

"There are things you need to learn, Harry," Sirius told him. "Hogwarts is the safest place for you-."

"Are you sure about that?" Harry asked him. They looked to each other. "I could come to London, clear out my account and we could travel, Sirius. Leave it all behind."

"And leave your friends to suffer at the hands of Voldemort, Harry?" Sirius asked. "I know of no one stronger than you Harry Potter. If I was your age and knew what was in store for me I would probably have fled. But I stay here; I know one day I will be able to do something good, something right." He looked away then back. "I hear Kreacher coming, I must go. Remember Harry, you are your father's son."

With that there was a 'piff' in the fire and Sirius was gone. Harry looked to the fire for a long while feeling alone and dejected. Finally he got up and went to bed.

**To Be Continued….**


	16. Chapter 16

**A week later…**

"Morning," Jenny said as Willow came into the kitchen with her backpack looking ready for school.

"Good morning," Willow replied with a smile as she found a bowl and got some cereal from the cupboard.

Jenny smiled as she leaned against the counter and looked to her ward. "You know, you're the only person I've ever seen happy to go to school."

Willow shrugged but was still smiling. "School is good."

Jenny chuckled into her coffee cup. "I would hyperventilate with the classes you're taking. You're a Sophomore and almost all of your classes are Advanced Placement."

Willow looked a little embarrassed as she found the milk on the counter by the coffee pot. "I took classes last year with Xander… and Jesse, then Buffy so I could hang out with them," she told Jenny. "I started doing other things- I was really bored."

Jenny nodded a little at that, she had been an average student, mostly because she liked boys and goofing off. But she loved computers that had been the one thing she excelled at in college that set her up to enjoy her work. Then the Elders changed that, damn them all. She enjoyed Willow, she even loved her in a parental sense, but damn them for the stupid things they've done.

"Well, hopefully computer science isn't that boring," Jenny replied knowing the response she'd get.

"Oh no!" Willow said shaking her head as she sat down with her bowl of cereal. "I love computers, your class is-is the most non boring at school."

Jenny smiled into her cup. "You could teach it, you know."

Willow glanced her way and the two looked to each other for a moment. Jenny admitted it when Willow first moved in and she saw the level of programming she did, let alone who her email friends were, students in universities, professional programmers, and amateur hackers, all of them from around the world. What impressed her more was a computer corporation who wanted to develop a program Willow had written. One that would advance computer technology, and she had written it at fifteen years of age.

"I don't really think I'm the teacher type," Willow told her as she turned back to her cereal. "You could be working for a computer company but you're a teacher." She looked back to the woman who was finishing her coffee.

Jenny shrugged as she put her cup in the sink. "Maybe later, after I've gotten the teaching bug out of me," she told Willow as she went past her patting her on the shoulder. "You know Rupert and I are going out tonight, right?"

Willow nodded. "Yup," she said realizing Jenny couldn't see her nodding. "Buffy, Xander and I are going to watch movies at Buffy's. Where are you going?"

Jenny laughed. "I'm sure he'll tell you all about it."

Willow quickly finished her cereal and put the dish in the sink and went to brush her teeth before they left for school. "Is it bad? Because Giles is… sort of picky."

Jenny came out of her bedroom with her jacket and satchel. "Rupert needs to have some fun, Willow. Don't worry about it."

Willow watched her for a moment before she found her toothbrush. "I don't think he knows how."

Jenny laughed again. "Hurry up."

Willow shook her head as she began to brush her teeth. She locked the door and went to the car where Jenny was waiting. "Did you clean up after practicing last night?" Jenny asked her as she backed the car out of the driveway.

Willow nodded. "I think I'm going to have to make up my own spells, I know all the ones in the books I have," she told her.

Jenny glanced at her as she set the car in forward and headed off. She was a fast driver, safe, but she pushed the speed limit. "What about wiccan studies?"

Willow let out a little breath and Jenny glanced her way again as she stopped at a light. "I'm afraid to," Willow admitted.

Jenny looked to her fully. "Why?"

Willow shrugged a little. "After the whole Hellmouth thing… I feel. It- it scared me, all that power, it was wild and freaky and not with the good."

Jenny nodded. "You need an anchor." Willow looked confused. "A ground for your connection," Jenny said in electrical terms. "We'll work on it tomorrow after school if you want."

Willow smiled her way. "Thanks."

Jenny smiled. "That's what I'm here for," she told her realizing how profound her words really were.

**oooooooooo**

Willow and Xander came down the hallway at school to see Buffy outside of the Principal's office with Sheila, one who was known for causing trouble. Sheila was rooting through her pack and brought out a half used pack of cigarette. "Yeah, sure, whatever," Sheila was telling Buffy, not even looking her way. "Hey Meatpie!" she yelled to someone across campus and walked off.

Buffy looked to the punk dejectedly as Xander and Willow came up to her, flanking her on either side. "His two worst students. That's what my mom sees when she looks at me," Buffy told them motioning to Sheila who was kissing an older boy. "A Sheila."

"She was already smoking in fifth grade," Willow said as they walked along towards their classes. "Once I was lookout for her," she said with a big smile.

"You're bad to the bone," Xander told her.

Willow nodded in agreement. "I'm a rebel."

Buffy looked a little pissed and more frustrated. "It's not fair! I'm the Slayer! That requires a certain amount of cutting and fighting. What's Sheila's excuse?" she asked them.

"Homework, she won't do it," Xander informed her. "And most teachers respect that now. You might want to keep away from any sharp implements when you're working with her."

Buffy let out a breath of frustration. "You think any other Slayers ever had to go to High School?

"Don't worry about it," Xander said. "The parents will love it and as long as nothing bad happens between now and then, you'll be fine." Buffy and Willow stopped and glared at him. "What?" he asked.

"Are you crazy? What did you say that for?" Buffy asked completely shocked.

Xander looked confused. "What? Nothing's going to happen."

"Not until some dummy says, 'as long as nothing bad happens," Willow told him looking just as disgusted as Buffy.

"It is the ultimate jinx, Xander," Buffy informed him.

Xander looks unsure now. "Maybe nothing bad will happen," he offered.

Buffy and Willow left and he looked worried and confused. Willow headed for her own classes through a crowd of kids; she bumped hard into a guy knocking her books out of her hands.

"Sorry," he said crouching down to grab them. Willow smiled as he handed them back to her. He was actually a smidge shorter than her. "I've seen you around," he told her.

Willow smiled at this. "I've been around- I mean, I'm a student here," she said trying to cover up that faux pas that sounded like she was easy.

He held out his hand. "Oz."

She took it gently. "Willow."

He smiled kindly at her. His rough look and wild hair covered that kindness up. "Nice name."

"Thanks," Willow replied. The bell rang and she looked worried. "I gotta go."

"Me too," Oz said. He waved her way as she hurried to class and he watched her go. "Wow." He headed off for his own class.

**oooooooooo**

**That Evening…**

"Are you sure this is wise?" Giles asked as he followed Jenny through a huge crowd of people toward the opening to a large arena.

Jenny smiled his way and took his hand. "Just follow me." She went to the man at the entrance and handed over two tickets. He ripped off one end and stamped her hand. He motioned to Giles who held out his hand gingerly. Jenny turned it over so the back of it was up and the ticket taker looked at him like he was stupid as he stamped it.

"Where are we?" Giles asked as they moved on and he looked to some ugly blue smudge on the back of his hand.

"You'll see," Jenny told him.

Giles was looking to the crowds of people seated and wandering about in the mass of seats in dislike as he was carrying a small paper box filled with hot dogs and fries while Jenny had a program and two paper cups filled with beer. They sat in their seats and Giles looked around at the amphitheater, there were mounds of dirt and a row of old beat up cars in a line. "Jenny I really must insist-," he started as she handed him his drink and she took a hot dog.

"Just have fun, Rupert," she told him with a smile that made him weak in the knees.

"Yes, but-," he started again as the lights went wild and Jenny motioned him to stay in his seat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the voice over the loudspeaker announced. "Welcome to the Sunnydale Arena! Tonight we have our Monster Truck Rally and Brad Kershaw world champion Motocross stunt cyclist for your entertainment!"

Giles sat there stunned for a long moment until a huge monster truck came out with flames shooting out from the exhaust pipes at the top. "Dear god," Giles muttered. He looked to see Jenny cheer the truck on to crush a few old cars. "The woman's insane."

**oooooooooo**

The warehouse was abandoned, not at all inhabitable. Well, not by most humans. The Anointed One, Collin, sat in the center of a group of adult vampires. Since the death of the Master and the failure to bring him back, Collin was now in charge of the vampires in Sunnydale.

"Why have we come here?" a soft female British voice asked from the darkness.

Collin looked to some of the vampires and they went to see who had intruded on their territory.

"Just for a while, pet," a hard male British voice replied. "See the locals and all that."

Collin looked to see one of his vampires get thrown back into the lighted area of the room. "I'd watch your nancy-boys mate," the hard voice said. The two voices came out of the darkness for him to see. They fit their voices quite well. The man was lean and chiseled in a long black leather jacket with a shock of well groomed bleached blond hair and hard blue eyes while the woman was in a diaphanous gown of light cloth with long pinned backed brunette hair and soft curious brown eyes that didn't seem all there. "Don't want them dead before their time, right?" the man said. "Not again anyways." He laughed at his own joke.

"Who are you?" Collin asked.

The man sat the woman down on the only chair around. "You're that anointed one aren't you?" he said. "Heard about you."

"I don't like it here Spike," the woman said. She looked about the room strangely as if there were things there that only she could see. "Not pretty."

"I'll get you pretty things, my princess. Let Spike talk with the locals, yeah?" he told her gently in a voice unheard of in vampires before. One of affection… one of love.

"What do you want here?" Collin asked.

"Heard you've got Slayer problems," Spike told him. "That's a bad piece of luck. I find it's best to kill 'em."

"This one has power," the woman said looking to Collin. "I could feel it from outside." She looked to the ceiling. "Not all the power," she whispered as she closed her eyes. "I smell magic in the air, Spike. Yummy and red. I want her."

"And you shall have her, luv," Spike told her. "Once we've taken care of the Slayer." He looked back to Collin. "Is she tough?"

Collin looked to the couple curiously. "Yes, she is."

"The Night of St. Vigeous is coming," another vampire told him. "We're going to take her then."

"Well then, all brilliantly planned," Spike said sarcastically. "I suppose you've taken on a Slayer then. Killed one?" No one answered and he smirked at them.

"Have you?" Collin asked.

"One or two, who am I to brag?" Spike replied seriously. He smiled with a snigger. "Oh I am!" he told them. "Got me one not more than a few decades ago, lookin' to add another one." He looked to them then to Collin. "Me and Dru, we're movin' in. You got a problem with that you step on up now."

**oooooooooo**

Buffy sat in the school library with Xander and Willow before school started. "Was it bad?" Buffy asked Willow.

Willow shrugged as she typed on the computer. "I don't know, I- I never really dated so I'm not sure."

"It had to be if they came home early," Xander told them as he tapped out a beat on the table with a couple of pencils. "Man, I really need a portable CD player; thinking up my own music is crap."

Buffy grabbed one of his pencils away from him as he went into an odd but loud drum roll for the tenth time. "You don't seem to be having too much of a problem," she told him.

"They have digital players out now anyway," Willow told him.

"Willow," Xander said putting on the schmooze. "Have I told you how much I love my rich best friend?"

Willow looked surprised at that. "I'm not rich."

"She got you a CD player for your birthday, you electronics slut," Buffy told him.

"I prefer entertainment slut, thank you," Xander replied. "And I said portable CD player."

"We were talking about Giles and Jenny's date last night," Buffy said.

He looked more interested now. "Oh, yeah, did she come home last night?" Xander asked.

Willow looked curiously his way. "Yeah."

"All her clothes still on?" he asked. Now Buffy was looking his way.

"What kind of question is that?" Buffy asked.

"If she had them on then they didn't do the horizontal mamba," Xander said taking his pencil back and beating them against the table once again.

"That's sick, Xander," Buffy told him. "Two adults… boinking?"

Willow looked back to her screen. "If you do it, you should say it," Xander told Buffy.

"I haven't," Buffy said and Willow looked back to her friends and Buffy looked uncomfortable. "I'm only fifteen. I'm waiting."

"For Angel," Willow said under her breath and Buffy scowled her way. Willow hid behind the monitor.

"Does that mean you're not of the virgin category anymore?" Buffy asked Xander. "You seem pretty open about it."

"I'm always open about sex, my dear Buffster," he said as he bit on the end of one of the pencils. Buffy smacked his arm and he clutched it. "Ow!"

The doors to the library opened and Giles came in with Jenny following. "You should have said something, Rupert," Jenny was saying.

"I- you did pick for the evening," Giles told her.

"You could have said you didn't like it," Jenny replied.

"What did you guys do"? Buffy asked as the kids got their backpacks.

"Monster trucks," Jenny said.

The three teenagers looked to Giles who took off his glasses. "That bad, huh?" Buffy told him.

"You should have fun!" Jenny told Giles.

"Stuffy books, that's fun for him," Buffy told Jenny then looked Willow's way. "Listen, Will, you want to help me with the banners for this Parent-Teacher night thing? I have a feeling Sheila's going to be a no show."

Willow looked to Jenny who nodded that it was fine. "What are you going to do about it?" Xander asked looking between Willow and Jenny. "This Parent-Teacher thing, she is your teacher."

Jenny smiled. "I hear she's doing fine. Have fun."

Buffy scowled as the three left the library. "I want your guardian Will. She already knows Snyder's evil."

They headed for their bench outside waiting for first period to start. Students were coming; they had about ten minutes before school started. "Are we Bronzin' tonight?" Xander asked.

"I have too much homework and getting ready for this Parent-Teacher night," Buffy said glumly as she sat down on the bench.

"I would suggest Oreo cookies dunked in apple juice to get her out of this mood but she might be over that phase," a young male voice said from behind them.

Buffy stood up and turned as Xander and Willow looked in the voice's direction. "Ford!" Buffy said with a smile.

"Summers," the handsome young man replied.

Buffy hugged him and Xander scowled at that. "Oh my God! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Matriculating," Ford told her as he let her go. Buffy looked confused. "My dad got transferred. I'm finishing my last year in Sunnydale."

Xander cleared his throat and Buffy looked to her friends who were very curious. "Oh sorry, Ford this is Xander and Willow."

Xander reached over inserting himself a little between the two and held out his hand. "Hi," he said gruffly trying to sound older.

"Hey," Ford said shaking it. Willow waved a little from behind Buffy.

"Nice to meet you," Willow told him.

Ford smiled her way and nodded. He looked back to Buffy. "I didn't think you'd remember me."

"Duh," Buffy said as they all took a seat. "You were only my big fifth grade crush." She looked to her friends. "Ford and I went to Hemery together." Ford was two years older than her. "We're going to the Bronze tonight, if you want to come," Buffy offered.

Willow looked surprised at that. "I thought you had-." Buffy nudged her to be quiet.

"If you had plans already, I don't want to butt in," Ford told them.

"It's fine," Buffy replied.

"Okay," Ford said with a smile standing up. "I just got to find the admissions office, get my papers worked out."

"You know what?" Buffy said standing up and putting her arm through his. "I'll take you there. See you guys in French."

Xander and Willow watched them go. Willow looked curious while Xander looked pissed. "I can't go tonight," Willow said. "And Buffy has banners to do."

"Doesn't she know any fat guys?" Xander asked completely annoyed.

"What are you going on about?" Cordelia asked from behind them.

"Xander's still harping over Buffy," Willow said getting up with her stuff. "See ya Xander."

Cordelia looked to Xander who wouldn't look her way. He winced as she pinched his ear. "Why would you be harping over her?" she hissed quietly making sure no one was around to hear them. "Maybe we should just break our arrangement off."

Xander scrambled to get up and look her way. "I have to make it look good okay?" he got out under his breath. "You don't want me trailing after you and the little evil gorgons you hang out with!"

"As if!" Cordelia said. The two were very close and you could tell they wanted to kiss.

"Janitor's closet?" Xander said breathlessly.

"Yeah," Cordelia replied and the two went their separate ways as the bell rang. They would both be skipping first period.

**oooooooooo**

"So then my mom says 'whether or not she's going to go out with her friends again'," Buffy told Willow as they painted on a banner in the school lounge after school was over for the day.

"You have been doing better with your homework," Willow replied as she stirred up some dry paint they got from art class with some water in a plastic cup. "I can't take the tests for you though."

Buffy sat back with a sigh, a paintbrush in her hand she looked to her best friend. "I know that, I am grateful for all the tutoring you give me, but I think I'm just going to be 'je stupide' forever… other than hunting down vampires I'm screwed."

Willow gave Buffy a firm look. "You are not stupid. You just have other things on your mind."

"Yeah, and can I tell my mom about it? Snyder has it in for me no matter what," Buffy replied. "Maybe you can help me cram in some French tonight."

"I thought you, this friend of yours- Ford and I were going to the Bronze," Xander said from a chair where he was watching them paint.

Buffy looked to Willow who blushed. "I- Jenny and I were going to do some magic tonight. A-and I need the help with it," Willow admitted.

"Will needs help with her 'magic' Buffy," Xander said with a grin.

"It's not a metaphor!" Willow told him with a scowl. "I don't see Jenny that way! She's like my mom!" _'At least not anymore anyway,'_ she thought.

"That is pretty heinous, Xander," Buffy told him as she took the paint Willow mixed up and began to paint another letter out on the banner. "We're going to the Bronze. I can study and get Parent-Teacher night ready just so long as I don't have to-." She stopped as she saw Giles and Jenny come into the lounge both of them looking serious, "fight vampires," she finished.

"There is nothing in the chronicles about a-an extraneous lunar cycle," Giles was telling Jenny firmly.

"The Order never accurately calculated the Mesopotamian Calendar, Rupert," Jenny replied just as firmly, it was another argument. "You have got to read something that was published after ten-sixty-six."

Giles scowled at her. "Very funny."

"What's the up, guys?" Xander said sitting up from his chair, the three teenagers were looking their way.

"Ms. Calendar- Jenny has been re- uh, surfing on her computer," Giles said as he shifted his books and pushed his glasses up. "And she's… well, according to her calculations, this Saturday is the night of St. Vigeous."

Buffy looked anything but happy at this news. "Let me guess, he didn't make balloon animals," she replied.

"No, no," Giles said looking at his saved place in one of his books. "He led a crusade of – well," he said looking her way, "vampires. They swept through Edessa, Harran and points East."

"And they didn't leave much behind," Jenny finished for him.

Buffy gave a heavy sigh. "Well if I survive Parent-Teacher night tomorrow, I'll see what I can do about Saturday."

Giles looked to her strangely. "You're being a tad flip about this don't you think?" This is quite serious, Buffy."

Buffy gave him an incredulous look. "And getting kicked out of school isn't?" she asked.

"You know what happens when you let your life interfere with your slaying," Giles told her.

"Okay well," Buffy started as she stood up, "if my slaying doesn't get me expelled, then I promise my banner making won't get me killed okay? Just please let me get through this week."

"We'll help," Willow told her. She smiled as she looked around seeing no one was there but them she pointed to the half finished banners. "Perfectus," she said. A glittery pinkish light moved over them and they were done, all the letters painted on like a pro had done it, they looked beautiful.

"That is so cool!" Buffy said happily then frowned looking at her paint marked hands and arms. "Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

"Where did you learn that?" Jenny asked.

Willow shrugged. "I made it up when the printer stalled on me last week."

"You make up your own spells?" Giles asked curiously.

"I ran out of books to study," Willow replied.

They looked over at the sound of short footsteps coming down the hallway. Soon enough there was Principal Snyder coming into the lounge. "Shall we go?" Giles asked Jenny quietly.

"Mmm, lets," Jenny replied and they left without Snyder seeing them.

The small man came over to them; he looked Willow and Xander over with a cold eye. "You wouldn't be helping Buffy in Sheila's place would you?" he asked.

"No," Xander said with a nervous laugh while Willow shook her head.

"We're hindering," Willow told him.

Snyder got a gleeful look on his face. "She ditched. I feel an expulsion coming on."

"No! No, actually she's been helping us for hours," Buffy said looked around trying to think up something. She wasn't going to let Snyder do anything to anyone, even Sheila. "Um, she just went to get some more paint." Sheila came in the door behind Buffy taking off her glasses, she looked stoned. Buffy turned to see what Snyder was looking at and saw her there. "Oh, - is there no more teal in the art room? I know you wanted everything to be perfect, but let's just go with what we have."

She gave Sheila a look to go along with what she was saying as Snyder let out a breath of displeasure. The banners were done and he didn't have any proof. "Just make sure everything is perfect on Thursday," he told them then turned and left the lounge.

"Thanks for covering," Sheila told her. "Guy's a serious rodent."

"No problem," Buffy said.

Sheila looked curiously at her. "Did you really burn down a school building one time?" she asked.

Buffy got a pained look on her face. "Well, not actually one time."

"Cool," Sheila said coming over to help them.

**oooooooooo**

"This is a pretty cool place," Ford said looking around at the Bronze. It was early evening and luckily she had convinced her mom to let her out of the house to show Ford around Sunnydale.

"Yeah, for Sunnydale, not bad at all," Xander replied. They were sitting at their usual table. Buffy was in the restroom. "So, you've known Buffy forever, huh?"

"Yeah," Ford replied. "Elementary through High School."

Xander nodded not looking pleased at this information at all. "Hey," Angel said coming over to the table. "Where's Buffy?"

Xander looked conflicted now. Two guys both with Buffy's affections, the rivals. "Restroom," he replied. "Angel this is Ford. Ford, Angel. Ford went to Hemery with Buffy."

Angel glanced over at Ford and sized him up then looked away from him. He wasn't worried.

Buffy came out to see all three of them there. "Angel," she replied.

"We need to talk," Angel told her seriously.

Buffy forced a smile at that. "Not tonight, okay? My friend Ford is here, Ford-."

"I intro'ed them already," Xander told her.

Buffy sat down with her drink. "There's something going on underground," Angel said to her softly.

Buffy sighed and looked his way. "Yeah some Saint thingy, I know, I'm on it."

"No, more than that," Angel replied. "A dark power, there are signs of it."

Buffy motioned Angel to a corner of the club where they talked privately. "Not tonight, I have a friend here. I want it to be normal, okay? I'll talk about it tomorrow but not tonight." She gave him a look and Angel backed off and left the Bronze. She smiled as she came up to the two boys. "How about we dance?"

Xander watched glumly as Buffy and Ford danced. He looked behind him curiously as he saw a blond man in a leather jacket watch Buffy rather intently. He was like Angel; he didn't fit in with the crowd of High School age kids. It was then that Buffy stopped dancing and looked around into the crowd.

"Is something wrong?" Ford asked Buffy.

Buffy frowned a little as she looked around. "Something's…"

"Oh my god! Someone call the police! A girl's being attacked in the alley!" a man yelled from the crowd.

Buffy took off for the door. Ford looked a little shocked but followed. Xander was already behind Buffy as she hurried outside and found a large vampire holding onto a girl, his fangs by her neck. Buffy ran up and grabbed him pulling him off the girl he slid to the ground and got to his feet.

"Slayer!" he got out at her.

"Slayee!" Buffy replied in turn as she did a roundhouse kick to his face. She knocked him back but he swung at her anyway making it easy for her to sidestep the blow. He caught her up and swung her around into the wall of the Bronze and she went down but came up quickly as Xander and Ford came outside. "Get her out of here!" she told them and they looked to the girl that was stunned at what she was seeing.

"You get her!" Xander told Ford shoving him a little towards the girl.

"And a stake would be nice!" Buffy said ducking under another swing from the vampire.

Xander ran back inside the Bronze as Ford took the girl and looked to a shadow who was watching, it was Spike, the vampire motioned with his head to move along, it was as if they knew each other. Buffy punched the other vampire in the face a few times before he struck her back. It was a hard one and Buffy went down as the vampire loomed over her with his nasty teeth grinning her way.

"I don't need to wait for St. Vigeous. You're mine," he told her. He bent down to pick her up only to have her kick him in the face and she got back on her feet. The vampire looked to the shadows. "Spike, gimme a hand!" he called out.

Buffy looked over to see a blond haired vampire in the shadows watching. "Buffy!" Xander called out. She glanced back to see Xander throw a stake her way. She caught it and in one fluid motion she plunged it into the vampire's chest and he crumbled to ash.

Spike came out of the shadows slowly clapping. Buffy looked confused at what was going on. "That was lovely," Spike told them.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked.

"You'll find out on Saturday," Spike replied.

"What happens on Saturday?" Buffy asked.

Spike pointed her way. "I kill you," he told her simply. He smiled and left the alley.

"Where's a witch when you need one?" Xander asked. "Willow could have toasted him."

Buffy didn't say anything as she looked around. "Ford?"

**oooooooooo**

Willow sat down across from Jenny in the basement, or casting room, with candles lit and the smell of incense was pleasant. "So I need this-you- to be an anchor for me?" Willow asked.

Jenny nodded as she palmed her talisman so Willow couldn't see it, Jenny was going to need all the help she could get to anchor someone as powerful as Willow seemed to be getting. "Like a ground for an outlet. A surge protector," Jenny told her.

Willow grinned at that. "Those analogies are easier to follow than Giles."

Jenny rolled her eyes a little and nodded. "He can be long winded."

Willow looked to her guardian. "You- you really like him, like him?" she asked.

Jenny smiled. "I know we seem ancient to teenagers, but yeah. He's smart, he's a gentleman, he knows about demons, magic and things that most men don't even care about and he's good looking. But it would be nice if he came a little into this century before it's gone."

Willow giggled at that. It was true, Giles was a 19th century man.

"Now," Jenny told her. "Let's see what we can do in the world of wicca for a wizarding witch."

"How come I can do it?" Willow asked her before Jenny got any farther. "AC and DC shouldn't be able to combine."

Jenny shrugged. "I don't know. I don't even know how you're able to cast magic without a wand, according to the books you found you shouldn't be able to do that."

Willow looked worried. "You think it's the Hellmouth?" she asked.

"It could be, but then Angel pointed out that the Hellmouth is suppose to make casting harder," Jenny replied.

"Maybe I'm a freak of nature," Willow said looking to her guardian. "It could explain a lot," she said sadly. "Look at all that's happened."

"That was none of your doing Willow," Jenny told her firmly knowing she was talking about her parents leaving her. Willow looked her way. "You can't force people to do something they don't want."

Willow made a little face. "With magic I could. It would be horrible, I found them… three spells written in the margins of that spell book. They're curses. One… called Imperio. Whoever you cast it on is forced to do your wish." She looked to Jenny. "Why would someone do that?"

"That's why it's a curse," Jenny replied. "Because it's wrong."

Willow nodded. "I did one," she whispered to her feeling so ashamed. "Against Malcolm, I killed him."

Jenny's eyebrows went up. "Why?"

Willow wiped a tear away. "He was going to kill Buffy. I couldn't let him, Buffy- I know I have Xander and I love him. But the world needs Buffy," Willow said looking up at her. "I need her, she's my best friend. She's made me stronger."

"Do you think it was justified. Killing a demon for your friend?" Jenny asked.

Willow was silent for a few minutes. "Yes… but what if-what if one day I don't think that because it's easy. Point my finger and say it," she said watching Jenny's reaction. "In my vision, the boy with Harry. He was killed by that same curse… it was awful."

Jenny came over to sit by her and she put an arm about her shoulder and Willow leaned into her. "If there's one thing I know about you Willow. You are a good person who would never do something like that to another human being."

Willow leaned closer into her. "I hope so," she whispered.

**oooooooooo**

**The Next Afternoon…**

"So what did he say?" Willow asked about Ford as they got everything ready for Parent-Teacher night.

Buffy shook her head as she looked over the table with the punch on it. "Nothing much, it was weird," she said as she pour some punch into a glass. "It was like he didn't want to know what had happened."

"Denial?" Willow offered.

"Ehhh," Buffy said not really knowing what to say to that. "Here try some punch." She handed Willow a cup.

"What is it?" Willow asked looking in the cup.

"Lemonade," Buffy replied as she began to pour more into other cups.

"How much sugar did you put in it?" Willow asked as she took a sip.

"Sugar?" Buffy asked looking her way.

Willow spit it out; it was so sour her tongue was curling up. "Is it bad?" Buffy asked looking into the large bowl of unsweetened lemonade.

"It's great," Willow got out trying to sound normal. "Where's Xander?"

"Whittling stakes for Saturday," Buffy replied. "You think his parents are coming to this?" she asked looking around at the large groups of parents coming in. Jenny was already in her classroom for hers coming.

Willow snorted out a soft laugh. "Xander? His parents haven't come to it since he was in first grade."

**oooooooooo**

Giles sat by his office door looking through books while Cordelia and Xander were at the main table slowly whittling sticks into stakes. At least Xander's was, Cordelia's stake didn't look like much of anything.

"How long have I been doing this?" Cordelia asked upset.

"Three minutes," Xander replied. They were sitting awfully close to each other. "You've complained more about your nail polish than actually doing anything."

Cordelia sneered at him as she looked to the piece of wood just as disgusted. "Well I've done enough," she told him putting the wood and knife down. She looked Xander's way. "I need a break." He saw the look and the janitor's closet was sounding as good as it was yesterday.

"You might help Buffy then," Giles said from his books, "the conference is close to over."

Cordelia rolled her eyes at that and got up. "Fine, whatever."

Xander looked disappointed as Cordelia left, his eyes watched her legs and he smiled in a dreamy looking memory. "Xander!" Giles said and Xander blinked a few times. "We should clean this up."

"Yeah, yeah," Xander said with a smile still on his face. "Okay."

**oooooooooo**

Willow watched as Mrs. Summers looked pretty mad. Stupid Snyder, Buffy busted her butt and he still made off with making Buffy look bad.

"Alright, I'm here to help," Cordelia said coming up to her and Buffy. "Let's get going. Wow is that your mom?" she asked seeing Mrs. Summers. "There's a woman that knows how to moisturize. Did it skip a generation?"

"Cordelia, why don't you go have some punch," Willow told her.

"Fine," Cordelia replied and headed for the table with the cups on it.

"You did good Buffy," Willow told her friend. They saw the looks on Mrs. Summers's and Snyder's faces.

"Maybe not," Buffy said miserably. Mrs. Summers pointed a finger at Buffy and beckoned her to come and Snyder had a nasty smile on his face as he went to the upper level of the lounge.

"Impedimenta," Willow said under her breath and Snyder tripped going up the stairs. Buffy smiled just a little bit at that as some of the adults tried not to chuckle. Snyder got up quickly looking around to see who did that. He straightened out his jacket and went on.

"You could be using that for such better things," Cordelia said as she came up to where she was. "Like gold, or cars, or even make up."

Willow looked her way. "Or turning people into rats," she warned.

"Geez," Cordelia replied snottily. "I'm just saying."

Snyder turned the lights off, the conference was over. Willow blinked a few times to get use to the dark as she watched figures come at the large bay windows. They crashed through, glass and wood sprayed everywhere as people screamed and began to run away.

There were adults everywhere. Willow dodged a few and ran for the janitor's closet around the corner. She had seen Buffy leading her mom and others the other way. A vampire grabbed Cordelia who had been following her and the brunette screamed in horror. Willow picked up a bust of some contributor to the school and bashed it on the vampires head. Cordelia made it into the closet first and locked it when Willow was in. There was still screaming and some male British voice sounded like the leader.

'_Nobody gets out! Especially the girl!'_ he said.

"What the hell happened?" Cordelia asked panicked.

"What?" Willow asked moving into the closet.

"Your magic? The mojo that lights vampires up and trips creepy principals? That!" Cordelia said still listening to the door.

"Oh yeah," Willow said looking surprised. Cordelia glared her way. "I don't do well under pressure!"

Cordelia glared harder as it got quieter outside. "This from the one that glowed at the Hellmouth. Tell me another sister," Cordelia said.

Willow clamped a hand over her mouth as it all went very quiet and Willow tried very hard to think of the girl pressed to the front of her was her enemy, not a hot brunette. Evil, evil, evil as the vampires, she told herself. Their eyes went up as the light in the closet went out and a little emergency light went on.

'_We cut the power,'_ another vampire said from outside. _'No one got away.'_

'_And the Slayer?'_ the first vampire asked.

There was quiet and Willow held her breath. _'She went that way, or that way. There were two others.'_

'_You don't know?'_ the first vampire demanded. _'I'm a veal kinda guy. You're too old to eat.' _It sounded like he said that part to someone else.There was a small crack and Willow cringed. _'But not to kill. I feel better.'_ Why do they always have to snap necks? Willow asked herself.

Willow and Cordelia sat on an overturned box as they listened to the outside world. Willow was sweating a little being right up next to Cordelia. "Maybe you could try a spell or something?" Cordelia offered up.

"And what if I hurt someone?" Willow asked.

"Then don't hurt them," Cordelia replied as if it was just a normal thing to do.

They were quiet for a long while listening intently to what was going on outside, for the time being there wasn't much of anything except some distant talking neither of them could make out. Willow was enjoying it a little, they were sitting side by side and Cordelia leaned closer to her when a noise went by, as if Willow could protect her.

"Wow, this place looks different from this view," Cordelia whispered to her.

Willow looked confused. "What?"

"Yeah right, like Xander hasn't blabbed it to you," Cordelia said. Willow looked even more confused and Cordelia gave out a heavy sigh. "We have an arrangement." Willow raised an eyebrow still not understanding. "This closet… me and Xander… where do you think he is half the time?"

The eyebrow came down and Willow looked absolutely stunned. "What?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Cordelia said begrudgingly not realizing that Willow's silence was absolute shock. "The car, the closet, anywhere that my friends don't see. And you didn't hear this from me and I'll deny it if you tell him. But he's not bad." Willow stood up. "Where are you going?" Cordelia asked.

"Out," Willow ground out angrily. "Bombarda!" she said at the door. It shattered outward. She strode out of the closet to see Spike and Angel facing off in the hallway with Xander between them looking like he was about to be bitten. "INCENDIO!" she yelled.

A barrel of flame came at them. "Holy crap!" Xander cried out as they all ducked for cover.

"Willow?" Angel said as he rolled underneath the flames. Spike dodged but four of his vampires didn't and they all lit on fire screaming in pain.

"What the bleedin' hell is that?" Spike yelled as he looked to the redheaded girl who looked furious.

Willow's eyes narrowed as she looked to the rest of them. "Flagrare," she said darkly as she clenched her fist and fire started to swarm around all of them in a dark reddish smoke

Vampires went screaming as Spike ran down the corridor, his jacket caught on fire. Angel tackled Willow before the spell hit him and they went down. Cordelia had watched Willow in awe but was shocked to see Xander waving his arm about on fire. She ran to the table and picked up a half empty punch bowl and threw it on him, most of it hit is face but it did put his arm out.

"Oh god I'm blind!" Xander cried out as he tried to wipe the sticky, stinging mess from his eyes.

Angel looked down at Willow who looked hurt and mad. "Willow?" he asked.

Willow shook her head and he helped her up and she ran out of the school. When she couldn't run anymore she walked along the sidewalk not caring where she was going. Her heart hurt and she couldn't think. Willow found herself in front of her old home. It hadn't sold yet, but she heard there were offers. Anger built up in her and she felt a little darkness swarm about her. She looked to the house and screamed. The sound was loud magnified by her magic and the windows in the house burst; cracking, exploding, shattering.

**oooooooooo**

**Early the Next Evening…**

"So he says he knew, right before I left Hemery," Buffy told Willow over the phone about Ford seeing her slaying a vampire on patrol.

"That's nice," Willow said looking out the window in her room. She was curled up on the seat looking out to the front lawn with a blanket over her legs. Her hair pulled back into a ponytail and she looked miserable. Jenny had her stay home from school; Willow didn't even care to go. It ruined her perfect attendance, but she didn't care.

"Are you even listening to me?" Buffy asked. "Will, are you okay?"

A tear split out from Willow's eye and down her cheek. "Buffy, I-I'm just really tired."

"I'm sorry Will; I didn't mean to keep you on being sick and all. My bad," Buffy told her. "See ya tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll see ya," Willow told her and hung up the phone. She sat there for a minute until she heard the door open quietly. She listened to Jenny come over to the window. A cup of hot cocoa was held in front of her.

"Something in your stomach couldn't hurt," Jenny said softly. Willow took it and Jenny sat down on the seat with her. "You want to talk?" Willow shook her head as she stared out the window. "Usually it helps to talk."

Willow sighed as she glanced at the brunette. "I just- I thought someone was one thing and then I-I find out they're completely something else. With Cordelia even," she got out as more tears came. "Sleeping with the enemy."

Jenny looked confused at everything other than the name of Cordelia. "Who is?" she asked. Willow shook her head and leaned it against the wall. Jenny sighed and patted Willow's leg. "I'm here for you," she told her then left the room.

Willow sipped on her hot cocoa a little then set it to the side. She jumped when there was a little knock at the window to the other side of the room. Willow got up and warily looked out, there was Angel. She slid the window opened. "Angel," she said quietly.

He smiled a little. "Can I come in?" he asked. Willow shrugged and opened the window a little more. She watched and he looked her way. "You have to invite me," he told her.

"Oh, I- I invite you in," she told him.

He slid in with ease and he looked to her with kindness. "Can we talk?" he asked.

Willow shrugged. "I don't want too."

Angel looked around her room and Willow blushed as she picked up a few clothing items from around, she hadn't been as neat as she usually was, and she had a lot more clothing now that Buffy made it her mission to keep her up to date in fashionable wear. "It's really nice," he told her as he motioned to a chair and she nodded for him to sit.

"N-not that I don't like you Angel, be-because I do," Willow started as she sat down at the window seat again. "But why are you here?"

"Two reasons," Angel replied. "One, to see if you're okay after last night." Willow went a little pale and stared at her hands. "The second, I need help."

Willow looked up at him curious now. "Like homework?" she asked then realized who she was asking. "No, 'cause you're old and you already know stuff."

He smiled at that. "I want you to track someone down. On the internet," he told her.

Willow smiled a little. "I can do that." She went to her desk and sat down booting her laptop up. "What do you need?"

"Information, records, files, anything on a person," Angel said.

"Who is it?" Willow asked.

"Billy Fordham," he told her.

Willow stilled her fingers on the keyboard to look his way. "Um, if I tell you something you don't want you hear, you promise you won't bite me?"

Angel smiled a little at that. "You're going to tell me I'm jealous?"

"Maybe a little," Willow replied.

Angel let out a little sigh. "You know, I never use to. Hang out for a hundred years brooding and feeling guilty, then she comes along-," he stopped for a second. "Yeah I'm jealous. But I know people and my gut is telling me this guy is wrong."

**oooooooooo**

**The Next Night …**

Willow followed Angel down into a worse part of Sunnydale. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked him again.

Angel looked back at her as he turned another corner. "I'm sure. Spike's in town, this Ford isn't in your school records and apparently he rented this place, 'The Sunset Club' that isn't in the residential area. What high school kid's going to do that?"

"I could," Willow said softly and Angel looked to her again. "I-I didn't say I wanted to, but I could."

Angel stilled and looked her way. "What did Xander do?" he asked. When they went on this little expedition Willow was adamant that Xander didn't come with them. It didn't hurt Angel's feelings any, he was tired of the boy's animosity towards him.

Willow scowled at this. "Cordelia decided to tell me that she and Xander have been -, they were-," she shifted uncomfortably.

"They're having sex?" Angel asked. Willow nodded a little. "That's nothing new, Willow. They're teenagers."

Willow sighed looking like she was going to cry but held it back. "You don't understand. Cordelia! The queen of mean, the bully of the school, the one who made my life miserable for years, and Xander's! I'm not saying she isn't dreamy, but she's CORDELIA!"

Angel looked curious at some of this information. "He betrayed you."

"Darn tootin," Willow muttered with a scowl on her face. "Let's go."

She led the way and Angel kept up with her. "Love is blind, Willow," he told her. "Sometimes you don't get to choose who you fall in love with."

"She's not in love with him, they have an 'arrangement'," Willow replied as she wiped a tear away from her eye.

Angel patted her back as they came to a metal door with a view port in it. He knocked on the door and the slot opened up and there was a pair of eyes. "We're friends of Ford," Angel told him. The eyes looked them over and then the metal slid shut and the door opened.

Willow followed Angel in and the two looked around as the group of people who were hanging out there. They were all dressed strangely. "This looks like something out of a bad vampire movie," Willow whispered to Angel.

It did, everything was gloomy and in reds or blacks. They went down the main stairs to the bottom floor and looked around. Willow bit her lip when she saw a guy in ruffles and a long black cape standing in a coffin. "Ooookay," Willow said under her breath.

A pretty young woman who was around Willow's age came up to them dressed like the others, overstated vampire type dress. "You guys are newbies. I can tell," she said to Angel and Willow.

"Oh no, we come here all the time," Willow said nervously.

"Don't be ashamed!" the girl said with a smile. "It's cool that you're open to it. We welcome anyone who's interested in the Lonely Ones."

"Lonely Ones?" Willow asked.

"Vampires," Angel said coming up behind her.

"I like to call them evil, bitey ones, more," Willow replied.

The young woman nodded consolingly. "So many people have that misconception. But they who walk the night are not interested in harming anyone. They are creatures above us, exalted!"

Willow looked really shocked and Angel looked disgusted. "You're a fool," Angel told her and Willow bumped him to shut up.

"You don't have to be so confrontational about it. Other viewpoints than yours may be valid you know," the young woman told him before she left upset that he didn't like her own viewpoint.

"No one's gonna talk to us now," Willow said to him.

Angel shook his head as he took her arm and led her to the steps back upstairs. "I've seen enough. They're making up children bedtime stories of friendly vampires to comfort themselves in the dark."

Willow looked to Angel as they went outside. "Is that so bad? I mean, the dark can get pretty dark. Sometimes you need a story."

Angel shook his head as they walked along the alleyway. "These people don't know anything about vampires. It makes you wonder why Ford, 'friend to the Slayer' is hanging with vampire wannabes."

Willow nodded in agreement. Buffy admitted earlier that day that Ford knew who she was and now he was here with this group. Something was up with him and she didn't like it either. "How are you going to tell Buffy?" she asked.

**oooooooooo**

**The Next Night - The Night of St. Vigeous…**

'_I am the stupidest, stupid person on the planet_,' Buffy thought to herself as she tried to figure a way out of the hellhole Ford had put her in. Of course Buffy wasn't fully thinking as she wondered why Angel would go behind her back and get Willow to help him look up Ford. Now she knew and Angel had even tried to warn her about him, but no, she didn't listen and now she was locked up with a bunch of freaks who were waiting for Spike and his 'posse' to come and drink them all dry.

Other than that, her other thoughts were of why Willow was avoiding Xander as she had through school the last two days, even Xander wasn't sure. That would all be a moot thought if she didn't get out of here.

"Why are you fighting this?" a young woman named Chanterelle asked softly. "It's what we want."

Buffy gave her a look. "You know what I see? I see that right after the sun goes down, Spike and all of his friends are going to be pigging out at the all-you-can-eat moron bar!"

"Okay, that's it," the ruffled, black cape man said. "I think we should gag her."

Buffy glared at him. "I think you should try," she ground out at him, and he backed off.

"She's an unbeliever-," he said.

"I'm trying to save you!" Buffy argued back. "Do you understand what the hell you're doing? You're going to die! And the only hope you have of surviving this is to get out of this pit right now, and, my God could you have a dorkier outfit?"

He looked offended while the young woman by him smiled. "I gotta back her up on this one. You look like a big ninny," Ford told the man.

"You shut up!" Buffy yelled at him. "You're going to kill all these people! I don't think you have a right to act like you even care about them!"

The two looked between Buffy and Ford when an alarm beeped on Ford's watch. "Sunset," Ford said seriously to Buffy who looked like she wanted to kill him herself.

**oooooooooo**

**Over at the school…**

Willow walked out of Sunnydale High after working with Giles on this whole St. Vigeous night that was actually that night. Her hand ached, but nothing was wrong with it, even Giles looked it over when it burned with pain. She had heard Jenny talking with Giles about the funk Willow was in over the past couple of days when she came in after school. They had stopped talking when she came in but then they talked to her like she was five. They didn't get it out of her, she figured that she needed to talk it over with Buffy first, even though Angel did know the basics, but he never said anything to anyone.

"Hey," a voice said from the dark and Willow screamed at it. She turned ready to cast a spell when she saw Oz standing there with his hands in his pockets looked just a little shy but with a smile. "Sorry."

Willow took in a breath. "Oz, hey."

"Why are you here so late?" he asked.

"My- my guardian is a teacher here," she told him. "I was headed for home."

"Cool. Can I walk you?" he asked. "It's after sunset."

She nodded liking the attention. They went slowly along the path down towards the student parking lot. "You're a junior right?" Willow asked.

Oz smiled and nodded at that. "Yeah."

"I think- did I see you at the Bronze?" Willow asked. "Playing… on the stage. With a guitar, not by yourself."

Oz nodded. "Yeah, lead. Dingoes Ate My Baby."

"They did?" Willow asked shocked. "There are dingoes in California?"

Oz chuckled a little as they came by a car. "That's my band."

"Their name, your name," Willow said embarrassed. "Sorry."

Oz shrugged as they came up to the car to see the windows were a little foggy and it was moving back and forth slightly. "Huh," Oz replied as they went on by.

Willow looked to it knowing whose car it was. There on the dashboard was Xander's wallet and keys to his house. Willow frowned at this and walked faster as she heard groaning noises coming from it.

"I was wondering," Oz said. "What do you think about food?"

Willow looked his way as they were out of the parking lot and Willow calmed down just a little. She had had time over the last few days to come to the reality that Xander didn't think with his regular brain a lot. But she was still mad. "I like food," she told him.

"Food at places to eat?" Oz asked.

"Yeah," Willow said and Oz smiled.

"You think you'd like to go with me some time to get food?" he asked.

"Like on a date?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, a date," Oz replied.

_Danger, danger, you're a gay young woman!_ Willow's mind told her. "Sure," she replied. _You're not attracted to him, you're smarter than this._ "That would be nice."

**oooooooooo**

**Back at the Sunset Club…**

"You never give up, do you?" Ford asked Buffy from where she watched on the upper level at the people below. She looked dejected and felt that way too.

"No I don't," she replied glaring at him.

"That's a good quality in a person. Too many people, they just lay back and take it, but us…" he said.

"Us? We have something in common now?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"More than you think," Ford replied.

"Yeah, well. You're what we call the bad guy," she told him.

He smiled at that. "I guess I am!" he replied with a laugh.

"These people aren't going to be changed are they? They're just fodder," Buffy said.

He nodded at that. "Technically yes. But I'm in. I will become immortal."

Buffy gave him a disgusted look. "Well, news flash genius that's not how it works. You die and a demon sets up shop in your old house. It walks and it talks and remembers your life but it's not you."

Ford shrugged at that. "It's better than nothing."

Buffy looked shocked. "Your life is nothing?" He smirked at that. "Ford, these people don't deserve to die!" she told him.

"And I do?" he shot back. "Well, no one took that into consideration, because I'm still dying." She looked him over and he held his arms out a little for her to see him. "I look good, don't I? I got maybe six months left, and by then what they bury won't even 'look' like me. It'll be bald and shriveled and it'll smell bad. I'm not going out that way!"

Buffy looked back to him. "I had no idea, but what you're doing is still wrong."

"Okay, when you vomit for twenty-four hours straight because the pain in your head is so intense then we'll discuss the concept of right and wrong!" he told her angrily. "These people are sheep; they're bored and miserable and lonely. I don't have a choice!"

"You always have a choice. Not a good choice but you have a choice! You're choosing mass murder because you're dying?" Buffy asked.

"I don't have to justify myself to you," he said pointing his finger at her.

Buffy caught his finger and turned it hard making him drop to his knees. "Yes you do," she told him. "Saving these people, that's my job. I kill vampires and demons. You've led them right into it and I WILL NOT let you kill them because you're feeling self-pity." Ford went to say something and she twisted his finger harder making him scream out. The others in the club looked their way and a few came toward them. "You think I feel sorry for you, Ford?" she whispered in his ear. "Trying dying, it isn't all that fun so the sorry isn't there. If those vampires come in here and start feeding… I'll kill you myself."

She let him go and Ford scrambled away from her holding his finger. "You know what Summers? I really did miss you," he told her.

"Sadly, I wish I had the pleasure of missing you," she said looking at him with pity. He slunk away to another part of the club and Buffy went back to looking for a way out.

There was the sound of cars parking outside and Buffy came to the top of the stairs. "Listen to me!" she told the group. "This isn't the mothership! Those vampires are going to come in here and kill you. No changing to a vampire, and they aren't good Lonely Ones! Ford brought Spike to kill you all. He was known as William the Bloody! He isn't some nice friendly vamp-"

Buffy was so intent on trying to convince these people to fight or run or something she didn't sense Ford come up behind her and push her down the stairs. She fell down them hard landing at the bottom a little out of breath. She got up but Ford was waiting and he punched her in the back sending her to the floor again.

The group looked up as the door opened and Spike came in with his group of vampires.

**oooooooooo**

Angel ran along the alleyway to see people from the club running away from the club itself. They were scared and some were crying, a few had blood on them. "Buffy!" he called out when he saw her standing in front of the closed door. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded a little. "What happened?"

Buffy sighed and looked to him. "Vampires."

"Spike was there?" Angel asked.

She nodded. "And some other one, a weak one, he cares for her." Angel looked a little haunted but didn't say anything. "We'll come back when they're gone," she told him as she started to walk away from the building.

"Why?" he asked following her.

Buffy put her arm in his. "For the body."

**oooooooooo**

It was well past midnight as Buffy was curled up in Angel's arm outside of one of the cemeteries. There were no vampires out. Many of them were locked up in the Sunset Club; others were dead from a few nights ago. And this night, the Night of St. Vigeous when all vampire powers were supposed to be at their strongest didn't seem to be going the vampire's way.

"Ummmm," Buffy said with a soft smile as she kissed Angel again. "I'm glad you're here"

"I am too," Angel replied stroking her cheek.

"I'm sorry," she started but he kissed her again.

"Things happen, I've been played before too," he said as a way of making peace. She smiled and they held each other close and kissed for quite sometime before the sound of singing caught their senses. "Damn it," Angel said getting them up.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Something I was hoping wouldn't happen," Angel told her. They went out to see the female vampire Buffy had held a stake to in the club wandering around through the cemetery like it was a flower garden twirling about to and fro.

"How did she get out?" Buffy asked as she hunted for a stake.

"Let me take care of it," Angel said as he stepped out and Buffy stayed where she could see them.

"My Angel!" Drusilla said with a smile.

"Hello, Drusilla," Angel replied unhappily.

"Do you remember the song mummy used to sing me?" she asked as she twirled herself about as if it was daylight in springtime.

"I remember," Angel told her.

Buffy was stunned at this conversation. Angel knew her.

"Yes you do, naughty boy," Drusilla said with a smile as she came closer to him. She saw Buffy ten steps behind him.

"Drusilla, leave here. Take Spike and get out. I'm offering you that chance," Angel said.

"You won't hurt me," Drusilla said coming up to stroke his arm as she looked Buffy's way. "You went and made my Spike very mad Slayer," she said to Buffy. "But the nice man came and let us out." She sighed as she looked to Angel. "Your heart stinks of her. Poor thing has no idea what's in store."

"That's enough," Buffy said and Drusilla smirked her way as Angel put out an arm cutting Buffy off from attacking Drusilla.

"Get out of town or I will kill you," Angel warned Drusilla.

Drusilla shook a finger at him as she backed up into the headstones. "You'll come back to us, Angel. I see it. You'll destroy her and I'll have my prize."

She was gone into the night and Buffy pulled away from Angel. "What was that? Who was that? You know her?" Buffy asked angrily.

"She's no one important Buffy," he replied.

Buffy's jaw set. "Then I guess I'm not either." She left and Angel looked miserable.

In the distance a man with binoculars watched them again. Buffy left but he still watched. Then Angel left and he followed.

**oooooooooo**

**Hogwarts…**

Harry sat out in the sun, high up in the north of Scotland it wouldn't be long before it was so cold coming outside would only be if you needed to, not wanted too. His detentions with Umbridge were over with but he wasn't sure if the etching in the skin on his hand would fade. It still hurt and reminded him of the horrific feeling of having something dig into the soft skin on his hand.

"Harry," Tara said as she came his way. Ginny of course wasn't far behind.

"Tara, Ginny," he said as they came and sat by him. He hadn't seen much of them. Ginny more at meals but Tara only on occasion, school and detention kept him busy.

"May I?" Tara asked looking to Harry's hand.

"I'd let her," Ginny said. "She's been 'feeling' your aura all morning long."

"Is that bad?" Harry asked Tara as he held out his hand to her.

Tara shook her head as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and held his hand gently. "Not for so short a time. But I feel your anger and pain come from this." She looked it over. "This is awful," she whispered to him. Harry knew she could feel his pain. "No teacher should do this."

"It's not so bad," Harry replied. Tara looked to him and her blue eyes held his own green ones and he let out a sigh knowing she wasn't fooled. "It is."

She nodded at this and cupped her hand over his and closed her eyes and held it there for a long moment. Harry looked to Ginny who shook her head and to shut up and just wait. "Permissum vestri vulnus vigoratus. Sic exsisto is," Tara said under her breath.

There was a soft light and Harry's hand felt tingly, like little sparks lit up his hand. Tara looked tired and let his hand go. "What was that?" he asked. She had done wandless magic!

"E-earth magic," Tara said quietly. "W-w-wizarding magic… isn't allowed outside of the classrooms with Umbridge in charge, but they don't know of muggle magic, earth magic."

"You can do this?" Harry asked.

"A little, my mum would kill me to know I did it here," Tara replied. "She uses it when ours isn't the best."

"Can you teach us?" Harry asked looking to his hand. It was healed save for a few faint marks.

Tara shook her head. "My mum's been teaching me since I was little and I still can't do complex earth magic."

Harry smiled her way. "Thank you."

She nodded shyly and the curtain of blond hair fell back into place hiding her from him. "Hermione mentioned teaching, Harry. You teaching," Ginny said. Harry glanced her way. "You should. If he comes-, you-know-who, we're all dead." Tara nodded in agreement.

Harry watched the two go and he looked more thoughtful than before.

**oooooooooo**

**Hogsmeade Weekend, Oct 5th…**

It was early afternoon when the foundlings of a new defense group left the seedy pub called Hog's Head. Harry, Hermione and Ron were finally alone and leaving Hog's Head for the rest of their weekend in Hogsmeade. "That went well," Hermione said slipping the sheets into the folds of her robe.

"That Zacharias bloke is a wart," Ron said holding his butterbeer as they walked along the streets.

"I don't care for him either, but he overheard me talking to Ernie and Hannah and he sounded interested," Hermione replied. "I couldn't tell him no, the more we have the better. Michael Corner and his friends wouldn't of come if he hadn't been dating Ginny."

Ron spat out his mouthful of butterbeer and stared at Hermione. "He's what?" he said loudly.

'_Oh brother,'_ Harry thought to himself as they went into Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and Ron was dogging Hermione for information, _'here we go again.'_

Harry wandered about the store looking at the different kinds of quills and paper there. Of course Hermione bought one, it was sort of manly looking. Probably for Viktor. They wandered out of there and over to Honeydukes. There of course were aisles and bottles filled with every kind of goody you could imagine. He picked out a few for himself, especially a big block of fudge that he could work on over the week.

He wondered as he watched what Hermione chose, which was very few considering her parents were dentists, what it would be like if Willow were here. What would she choose? It was then that he realized just how much he wanted to buy her something. Their birthday had just passed a few months before, they were both fifteen and they had yet to celebrate their birthday together.

"What the matter?" Hermione asked Harry who was looking sad in the middle of Honeydukes which was unbelievable.

Harry looked her way. "You're a girl, right?" Hermione glared at that. "No, not like that," Harry amended. "I want to buy a gift for a girl."

"Cho?" Hermione asked knowing how infatuated he was with the Ravenclaw. Harry shook his head. "You like someone else?"

"Harry likes someone else?" Ron asked coming their way with a sack full of cheap treats, his mouth full of them.

Hermione looked disgusted at his manners. "Finish chewing first Ron, please!" She looked Harry's way ignoring Ron as he stuck out his tongue covered in chewed up candies. "Who is it?" she asked.

"I can't say, but I would like to buy something for a girl our age," he told them. Hermione and Ron looked to each other as Ron slowly chewed up the rest of his mouthful. "Please Hermione," Harry said. "Just an idea, you won't choose something stupid."

"She'll pick a book," Ron told him as he dug out some more candy from his bag.

"I will not," Hermione said scowling at him.

"Something to study with then," Ron said taking a big bite of his own fudge. "Something boring. Hey!"

Hermione had pushed him into another group of students as the two headed outside. "It would be better to go to Diagon Alley, but we can go to Gladrags, all girls like clothes," she told her friend.

Harry nodded with a smile. "Thanks Hermione."

**oooooooooo**

**Translation:**

Let your wound heal. So be it.

**To Be Continued…**


	17. Chapter 17

Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks sat at a small table in a pub in Northern England. It was a Wizarding pub, but safe from Ministry ears and eyes. The owner had no love for the Ministry and the Order used it when needed.

It was late, almost midnight and Remus could feel the pull of the moon on him. It was getting close, the time to change. He hated it, he hated what he was, a monster in some eyes, something to be pitied in others.

The two of them had been doing business for the Order the past three weeks. Remus felt impatient and tired. He knew the work of the Order was for the good of his people. _'People who didn't want him,'_ he thought to himself as he looked into his drink. And with a Ministry under the reign of Cornelius Fudge who was an idiot… Remus sighed as he took a large swallow of his drink. He hoped Harry was okay. He smiled at that. And Hermione and Ron and all the other student who had become friends, mostly Harry's friends, he had enjoyed teaching at Hogwarts, it had made him feel worthwhile, even if he couldn't find his goddaughter. Remus sat back in his seat and thought about that as Tonks came up with another drink for him and hot chocolate for herself.

If he hadn't of seen Willow two years ago in New York he wasn't sure what he would be doing now, it was so frustrating! He had magic; he was a wizard for Merlin's sake! And he has the nose of a werewolf, even this much later he knew the scent of her, he also knew it was most likely she was still in the States but it was like she disappeared. A young teenager with red hair… how hard was that to find?

And then there was Harry. Sirius had admitted to him later after school had started for the year that Harry had found pictures of himself and Willow as infants with their parents. Harry knew who Willow was! That she was missing and that he was looking for her!

"You thinkin' that much, Remus?" Tonks asked as she took a sip of her drink.

Remus smiled her way. Young, pretty, and kind, with vivid pink hair, an ousted member of the Black family, an auror, and metamorphmagus; Tonks had a lot on her plate. He was glad to be paired up with her for missions over the others, especially Moody or Mundungus… they were weird folk which was saying something coming from a werewolf. "Too much," he replied to her.

Tonks raised her drink up to that. "I have Harry duty in a few nights; I guess you can think more then."

Remus smiled at that. "Not likely, always the responsibilities I'm afraid."

Tonks looked thoughtfully at him. "That time?"

Remus shook his head. "Not for another week and with my potion it's more bearable." He sighed as he leaned forward resting his elbows on the old wooden table. "It's more than that…" he stopped and looked around to see if anyone was listening, there was hardly anyone there. "I've been looking for someone."

Tonks's eyebrows went up at that. "Well, you are marrying age and all. I don't blame you."

Remus blinked a couple of times and looked her way then a rare smile appeared. "You think I want to marry?"

Tonks looked back at him confused. "Isn't that why you look for someone? To marry?"

Remus chuckled at this. "I suppose, yes," he replied. "But she's a little young for me."

"She?" Tonks asked.

Remus looked around again then took out his wand. "Coerceo," he said. They were enveloped in an opaque sphere, one that couldn't be broken into or overheard. Tonks looked even more curious now. "You remember Harry's birth?" Remus said. He shook his head a little. "You were a child then."

"I remember," Tonks told him. "My mother is Sirius's cousin and the Potter's were friends seeing how my parent's enemies were of most of my family."

"Yes, well," Remus started as he combed his fingers through his long mane of hair. "Harry wasn't an only child."

Tonks sat up now. "What?"

"I have a goddaughter, Willow Lily Potter," he told her.

"Merlin, Remus," Tonks whispered. "Where is she?"

"I took her to the States where she would be safe. She was taken… the aurors think by Bloodfangs," Remus replied.

"You don't grow up in the Bloodfangs," Tonks said. "Not unless you're blood relation."

"I saw her two years ago in New York, in the Black Manticore. She ran from me, but I know she's alive," Remus said so glad to get it off his chest as he swallowed all of his drink. "I've spent thirteen years looking for her."

Tonks looked thoughtful. "That's where you've spent all your time."

He nodded. "With what's going on with Voldemort I must find her, Tonks. I feel time is running out."

Tonks watched him. It explained so much, his look, always being tired. He had a mother in Wimbourne, but she was aging so he didn't bother her. "Then I'll help," she told him.

Remus looked grateful at that when something 'knocked' on their enclosure. Remus released it to see the innkeeper looking displeased. Apparently he felt his spells were good enough to keep anyone from overhearing any conversation. But when it came to Willow, Remus trusted very few.

**oooooooooo**

**Mid October… on a Saturday…**

"Will, you're going to have to tell me someday," Buffy told her friend as they walked along the fairway through the Sunnydale Mall. Both of them had a couple of shopping bags but nothing major, Joyce had dropped them off less than half an hour ago.

Willow shrugged a little as she looked into a nearby computer store's main window. Jenny gave her an allowance and she had her own savings account, but Jenny had limited them both on computer spending.

"Willow Rosenberg," Buffy said seriously. "Why are you're avoiding Xander?"

It had been hard, Willow didn't go the library after school, she usually just went home. Xander had been hounding her until Jenny told him to leave her alone until she wanted to talk about it. Jenny didn't like it either; she didn't know what was going on. Willow stopped as Buffy planted herself in front of her friend and blue eyes met hazel and Willow closed hers. "It's stupid," Willow said softly.

"What in a teenage life isn't stupid, Will?" Buffy said. "If it has to do with Xander and something he did, I'm sure it's more than stupid." Buffy looked around and took Willow's arm and pulled her to a more secluded spot and parked her on a bench and sat next to her. "Spill," she demanded.

Willow let out a sigh. "You know Parent-Teacher night?" Willow asked.

"That mondo disaster? How can I forget?" Buffy replied sarcastically. "What happened?"

Willow sighed again. "Cordelia and I were stuck in the janitor's closet while Spike and his group did all th-that… stuff."

Buffy nodded. "Uh huh." She knew that. Cordelia had talked and talked about Willow's spell casting while Willow wasn't there. Buffy wished she had seen it, but she was fighting to save herself, her mother and Snyder… well, sort of save him.

"Cordelia… she told me some things, I really didn't want to hear," Willow said looking at Buffy.

Buffy looked confused. "That's her mission Will; make everyone's life a living hell if they don't follow her way."

Willow let out a hard breath of frustration. "More than that."

Buffy blinked and waited for a moment before speaking up. "I'm a Slayer not a mind reader."

"They've been- you know," Willow said giving Buffy a look. Buffy's brow went down not understanding. "In the closet… together," Willow told her.

"In the closet, why would they be in a closet together-," Buffy muttered then her eyes went wide and Willow nodded. "They're doing drugs?"

"They're having sex! Making it, doing it, whatever it's called. Cordelia and Xander!" Willow said loudly finally frustrated enough her shyness left for a moment.

Buffy looked shocked then repulsed. "Ew, not Cordelia."

Willow nodded. "She told me it was an arrangement, th-that they met wherever her friends wouldn't see them. It's not even love!"

"And the janitor's closet is one of them," Buffy replied and Willow nodded. "He is a guy Willow, and Cordelia is hot in a girl way. I don't think they think about love."

"That's not the point!" Willow said standing up and Buffy stood up with her. "Cordelia's been mean to me and to Xander since we all started school together!" She was over her tears on this, but she still felt like crying sometimes. "He chose to sleep with her."

Buffy saw the look on Willow's face. She didn't look like she lost her true love, but she did look like she lost her best friend. "You need to talk to him about it, Will," she said as she led her into a large clothing store.

"What do I say?" Willow asked as they passed by rows of shirts. "Xander tell me why you're dating the skanky ho queen of Sunnydale?"

Buffy laughed at that. "Rowr, you could, yeah."

Willow sighed and looked to her friend. "Am I being stupid over this?"

"No," Buffy replied. "I'm not happy with it, but then I haven't known Xander as long as you… for that fact Cordelia either."

"That's because you can stand up to her," Willow said. "If you were evil, you'd be a Cordelia."

"I was a Cordelia in L.A., Will," Buffy said as she found a shirt and held it up to her. "You think?"

Willow looked to it. "I don't know, I don't have any fashion sense, Buffy."

Buffy sighed. "Have you been reading the homework I gave you?"

"I don't like Cosmo, the quiz was boring," Willow admitted.

"You look at the fashion!" Buffy said putting the shirt back and leading them deeper into the store. "What's what, and black is always in." She motioned Willow to sit on a seat by the dressing rooms and handed over her bags. "Now I'm going to go find you some stuff and we'll try things on."

Willow watched Buffy leave her and she looked around at the clothes about her. "What about fluffy clothes?" she asked.

"No!" Buffy called out. "Fluffy was out in the seventies!"

Willow nodded at that, she hadn't seen any teenager wear anything fluffy looking. She looked about for a while and saw Buffy's blond hair move around just above the racks. "How's Angel?" she asked.

Buffy made a rude noise. "Don't ask, he's being a guy."

"Is that bad?" Willow asked as she saw two women in their early twenties go into dressing rooms nearby.

"For the time being we are not seeing each other," Buffy informed her.

"What, does he have an arrangement with Cordelia too?" Willow asked sullenly.

Buffy's blue eyes peered up over the rack smiling. "Go Will, you need to talk with him. Mopey Xander is not one I want to be around all the time. The only ones left to talk to are Giles and Cordelia and believe me, that's a nightmare."

Willow nodded at this, she missed Xander, he was her buddy. But it was hard to be that when he wanted to be with Cordelia more. She looked over as dressing room doors opened and the two women came out half dressed. Willow shifted a little uncomfortably but her eyes didn't leave them. Willow didn't see that Buffy saw this as she came out of the racks with her arms full of clothes.

"You like?" Buffy asked.

"W-what?" Willow asked back looking her friend's way, a blush coming to her cheeks.

Buffy held up a beautiful deep rust shirt with long sleeves and a deep v neck. "You like?"

Willow nodded as she forced her eyes to stay on Buffy. "It-it's great."

"Good," Buffy said with a smile. "Try it on." Willow slowly got up and took it and half of the clothes and went into the dressing room. "Try the leather mini with it," Buffy told her through the door.

Willow found it and looked to the two. "This doesn't cover very much up, Buffy," she told her back.

"Just do it, Will," Buffy commanded happily. "It's your punishment for not doing your homework."

For Willow it was, Buffy thought it was the best thing anyone could ever make her do. Go clothes shopping.

Willow slid out of her skirt and shirt and into the new ones. "Um, it- it doesn't cover a whole lot," she called out softly.

"Let's see," Buffy replied. She waited but Willow didn't come out. "Will, I'm the only one here. Let's see."

Hazel eyes peered over the doorway at her friend. "It's too short."

"Will, do you want me to get slayery?" Buffy asked impatiently.

The eyes disappeared and the door opened a crack. Buffy opened it the rest of the way and there stood Willow. The shirt accentuated her elegant neck, flat midriff, and breasts… they would be called pert, but Willow lamented over the word small, that, Buffy didn't have a problem with herself. The skirt showed off Willow's long slender legs and her butt.

"Wow," Buffy said with a smile. "Will, with make up and your hair done… still… you look amazing."

Willow's arms went about her belly. "Nuh uh," she replied.

Buffy moved Willow's arms away. "You do, you look beautiful." Willow had never heard that before, cute, sweet, perky, nice… but never beautiful. "You would put Cordelia to shame," Buffy said and Willow looked her way and Buffy nodded. "I know… you know I know these things." She smiled. "Let's get it."

Willow shook her head but Buffy motioned her on to other clothes to try on. Willow knew they'd end up being bought and deep down Willow was excited to wear them again. But maybe alone in her room… where no one could see them… on her anyway.

"So why aren't you seeing Angel?" Willow asked as she took the skirt and shirt off and found some others.

"I-," Buffy stopped with a heavy sigh and looked around to see there were a few women about. "When we go out, it starts out nice and then something bad happens," Buffy told her. "This last time this-, 'woman', nasty PCP woman, she's in the cemetery singing like she's living in Mary Poppins world and Angel knows her apparently. I go to do my thing and he stops me."

Willow came out again, this time in a pair of slim cream pants and a soft green pullover. "Why?" Willow asked as Buffy looked her over with a critical eye.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know, but I _want_ to know." She shook her head. "I like the pants but you have a dozen green shirts."

Willow went back into the dressing room spotting the women down the way as they came out again. They were pretty. She locked the door and sat down on the little chair they provided. Xander was sleeping with the Queen of Mean. Why didn't she start dating? Oh yeah, she did have one for that night with Oz… and that was a whole other can of beans, he was nice and cute but not sexy, gorgeous cute like girls. She sighed as she pulled the shirt off and found another one, it was yellow. She hadn't dared to mention it to Buffy, and when Buffy found out she would go ballistic. Buffy loved to know the gossip about everything, especially dates. Then again, Willow now understood just how much secrets hurt.

"Maybe we could find the Watcher's diary about Angel," Willow offered. "That could tell us something."

"We'd have to get past Giles," Buffy said. Willow came out, Buffy had a smile on her face and Willow looked worried. "We can do that, a Slayer and a witch," Buffy told her quietly looking to see that there wasn't anyone else around at the moment.

"Buffy," Willow said. "I'm going on a date tonight."

Buffy blinked a few times at that looking totally shocked. "What? With who?"

"Oz, he's a Junior," Willow said.

"Well, don't look all excited Will," Buffy said seeing the look on Willow's face.

Willow sat down in the dressing room. "He's nice."

"I feel a but coming on," Buffy replied. "But what? He's not Xander? I thought you were over Xander?"

"I am, I don't think I was into Xander in the first place," Willow said. She shrugged. "I think I said yes because I found out about Xander and Cordelia."

"Ah, the jealousy factor," Buffy said sitting down by her.

"I've never dated before," Willow admitted to her. "And he likes me."

"Xander likes you," Buffy said.

Oz… I think he likes me likes me. Which is not your average Xander likes me," Willow spilled out.

Buffy watched the indecision in Willow's eyes. "What does Jenny say?"

"I didn't tell her that. Just that I was going on a date and she insisted on meeting him," Willow said.

"Will, do you think you'll ever like him like him?" Buffy asked. Willow looked her way and Buffy saw the answer in her friend's face.

**oooooooooo**

**That Night…**

Willow sat nervously in the living room watching the clock. It was almost seven, the time when Oz said he would be there. Jenny watched her from the seat next to her on the couch. "Honey, boys aren't always right on time," she told her.

Willow was pretty in a light colored baby tee with light blue jeans. Buffy had come over after their shopping trip and set things out for Willow to choose from. "Better to be safe than sorry, right?" Willow asked nervously.

Jenny nodded. "Sure, okay." Jenny smiled a little and went back to watching the TV. What is that long ago when she started dating?

It was one minute after seven when car lights appeared in the driveway and Willow stood up. It was another minute before the doorbell rang and Willow was right there to answer it. "Hey," she said to Oz. He was in a tie-die green t shirt that almost matched his hair and old jeans. They all looked clean though.

"Hey," he replied, they looked at each other for a moment.

"Hey," Jenny said in the same teenage voice from her spot at the couch.

Willow opened the door a little more and Oz came inside and Jenny stood up. He was shorter than both of them, but it didn't intimidate him at all. He smiled her way and Jenny smiled back. He was a cool guy. "Hey," he said going into the house a little way he shook her hand. "Nice place."

"Thank you," Jenny replied. "Do we need ground rules?"

Willow looked a little shocked at this, what did they need rules for? Oz smiled just a fraction. Willow's eyes went wide at that while Jenny's narrowed.

**oooooooooo**

**The Next Monday before school…**

Willow rubbed at her eye again. It was just before seven and Buffy had literally pulled her out of bed at six thirty and dragged her to school. Jenny had given them a ride and she looked less awake that Willow. She had gone to get coffee and something for breakfast while Willow watched as Buffy paced around the floor in the library.

"Is it serious stuff?" Willow asked. "Giles isn't even here yet."

"No, not slayage stuff," Buffy told her. She looked her way. "How did it go with Oz?"

Willow yawned. "Okay, he's nice. We went to a movie."

Buffy watched her. "That's it?"

Willow glanced her way. "Why? What else was supposed to happen?" Buffy rolled her eyes at that when the door opened and Xander walked in looking bleary eyed and sad.

Willow scowled at Buffy who scowled back to stay where she was. Xander looked to Buffy then Willow. "Go sit," Buffy told him.

He did across from Willow at the big table. "Hey Will," he said quietly.

Willow frowned deeper now. Mostly because this was Xander and she didn't like Xander sad, but then she didn't like being sad either and she had to stick up for herself. "Stop thinking it and say it Willow," Buffy told her slapping her hands down on the table and the two best friends looked to the third friend warily. "Willow, tell Xander why you're mad, and no magic allowed." Willow looked to Xander then started to shift in her seat. "Tell him what Cordelia told you," Buffy said.

"You believe Cordelia over me?" Xander said looking upset. "I didn't do it whatever it was."

"She said you were making out in the closets in the school," Buffy told him and he stilled.

"She what?" he got out looking to Willow then the nervous smile came with a very nervous laugh which showed to both of the girls it was true, Xander was an awful liar when it came to the two of them. "It's Cordelia!"

"I saw you," Willow said. "In her car, in the parking lot last week."

Xander's smile faded and Buffy looked his way. "And… tell him," Buffy said to Willow.

"She told me in the janitor's closet, about how you and her-," Willow said standing up she started to pace around. "It's Cordelia! The one we made a club up against, remember? The 'I Hate Cordelia Chase Club'!" Willow said looking so hurt. "She's talked bad about your parents since grade school, about how you dress! About me, nothing ever good about me has come from her mouth and you want to kiss it! You'd rather spend time ha-having s-s-sex with a girl that makes everyone in the school feel worthless than hang around with me!"

"You have a club?" Buffy asked. They both looked her way. "Right, not important now."

"It- I-," Xander tried to think of what to say.

"Is it true Xander?" Buffy asked. "You've been 'having relations' with Cordelia?"

"Yes! But it's not like that!" Xander stated loudly as Jenny came in with a few sacks full of food. They looked her way.

"I'll come back later," she told them and left quietly.

"What's it like Xander?" Willow asked him. "Do you love her?"

"No!" Xander said. "I don't, she's pretty and sexy and hot!"

Willow looked like she was wounded, her arms tight about her and her eyes full of tears, she shrugged at him. "I know I'm not any of those things… but why her? Why someone who could care less about you?"

Xander shrugged. "I don't know Will. It just started, we fight and we get horny. It- I wasn't-… how was I suppose to say anything about this? I mean it's not like we all haven't kept secrets." Buffy nodded a little at that. They all did. Her mother didn't even know she was the Slayer, that little tidbit wasn't going to be pretty if she found out one day. Xander came over to Willow slowly, his brown eyes looking very sad. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. A part of me didn't want to tell myself. It is Cordelia…" He looked down at her. "Forgive me?"

Willow scowled but slowly she leaned into him and he wrapped his arms about her. "I'm still mad at you," she informed him.

"I know, I love you too Will," Xander said hugging her tight until she wrapped her arms about him.

"There, see!" Buffy told them as she came over and hugged them both hard. "I did it all through talking and no violence, yay me!"

"Slayer strength is painful," Xander got out breathlessly and Willow looked a little pained.

Buffy backed off. "Sorry."

**oooooooooo**

Buffy came into the Bronze looking to the crowd, she was alone and Xander was busy reconnecting with Willow while Buffy went on patrol. They had offered to come with her but Buffy needed time to herself. She herself had just spent a lovely time rolling around with some vampire in a pumpkin patch as they were trying to kill each other off.

"Buffy," Angel said from a shadow.

Buffy sighed and turned his way. "Angel," she replied seriously.

The tall dark man came up a little closer knowing that Buffy's anger could get him hit which he didn't really care for. "Maybe we should talk," he said.

"Ya think?" Buffy asked her eyes were so not happy.

Buffy went to a couch and sat, Angel warily sat down by her looking her way he gently reached over and pulled out a piece of straw from her hair. Buffy looked surprised at it and patted her hair down making sure it was in place and there was no more straw in it. "Hard day at work," she quipped at him.

"So I see," Angel replied handing the straw to her.

They were silent for a while until Buffy looked his way. "Who is she?" she asked.

"Someone… from my past," Angel told her. "She's my problem; I'll take care of her."

"Not unless I take care of her first," Buffy replied. She looked frustrated. "What's so special about her?" she asked.

Angel looked over her head, his eyes in thought. He was silent for so long Buffy wasn't sure if he was going to speak. "Do you trust me, Buffy?" he asked touching her cheek.

Buffy looked him over. "Yes," she said quietly.

"Trust me on this, I will take care of her and Spike," Angel replied.

**oooooooooo**

**Oct 28**

"So, what are we doing for Halloween?" Xander asked walking through the main hallway at school trailing just a little behind Buffy and Willow. They passed a table with volunteer sign-up for the safety program for Halloween. They made a wide berth around Principal Snyder who had clipboards and a nasty look on his face. He grabbed a female student who walked by and pulled her towards the table.

"Hey!" the girl said.

"You're volunteering," Snyder told her.

The three looked horrified as he forced her to sign up. "Note his interesting take on the volunteer concept," Xander said.

"What's the deal?" Buffy asked as they quickened their step to get to Willow's locker which was on the other side of the hallway.

Xander and Buffy look back to Snyder as Willow worked the combination on her locker. "Oh, a bunch of little kids need them to take them out trick-or-treating. Sign up and get your own sugar-packed runts for the night," Xander told her.

"Yikes," Buffy said looking horrified. "I think I'll stick to vampires."

Buffy and Xander looked away as Snyder came towards them. "Miss Summers," Snyder said with that irritating tone in his voice. "Just the juvenile delinquent I've been looking for."

Buffy looked black before she plastered a fake smile on and turned his way. "Principal Snyder," she said, they both hated each other and they knew it.

"Halloween must be a big night for you," Snyder said. "Tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples, one pathetic cry for help after another. Well," he told her grabbing her arm he led her to the sign up table, "not this year, missy."

Willow and Xander slowly came up behind her as Buffy tried to think of something to get out of this. "Gosh, I'd love to sign up, but I recently developed carpal tunnel syndrome, and can tragically no longer hold a flashlight," she told Snyder.

Snyder didn't look convinced as he held out a clipboard and pen which Buffy reluctantly took and signed. "The program starts at four, the children have to be back at six," Snyder told her. He then held out two more pens to Willow and Xander. The two looked at each other then the pens. Willow gave in and took it.

"Crap," Xander muttered as he took the other pen.

**oooooooooo**

"That was so wrong! So wrong," Buffy said as she and Willow walked quietly along the hallway after school. Xander had left after school admitting to them he was going to see Cordelia and they let him go, besides they knew he wouldn't want to know anything about Angel unless he could use it against the vampire.

"Give it up, Snyder hates you," Willow replied. "He hates everyone."

"Why pick on me?" Buffy whispered as they snuck up to look through the windows into the library. Giles and Jenny were in there talking.

"Gym burning," Willow whispered back. "cutting class, running around at night…"

"Thanks," Buffy said giving her a dirty look and Willow smiled knowing Buffy wasn't mad at her. The gym burning was now a fact of life for her. She pushed the door in a little so they could hear what the adults were saying.

"I- I did have a wonderful time the other night," Giles was saying. "I was hoping you would join me for dinner."

"Ahhhh," Buffy whispered under her breath as Jenny smiled.

"Halloween would be nice," Jenny said. "Unless that's a big night for Buffy?"

Giles shook his head. "On the contrary, Halloween is the one night v-vampires and demons don't come out."

Jenny smiled at that as she moved her fingers along Giles's arms and Giles flushed a little. "There are some moves you could learn," Buffy whispered to Willow. "I'm going in." She slid in through the door without a sound and began to sneak her way behind and around the adults who were totally focused on each other. Willow decided to be decoy if it was needed. That, and she didn't have slayer reflexes.

"I could cook," Giles said quietly.

Jenny smiled. "At your place?"

Giles smiled. "Willow could stay at Buffy's."

Buffy looked back at Willow who was still peering through the doorway she looked surprised too. Buffy ducked down beside the counter and moved along until she made it to Giles's office where the watcher diaries were kept.

"I like the sound of that," Jenny said as she leaned up and the two kissed. Buffy slipped into the office and came out a moment later to see the two were kissing softly. "I better go. Willow and I were going out to dinner and to see a local coven."

"A local coven?" Giles asked as Buffy crouched back down to sneak her way back.

"There's only so much she can do by herself. I think it would be good for her to learn about wiccan power by the actual practitioners," Jenny told him.

Giles was about to turn around and see Buffy there with a watcher diary in her arms when Willow hurried into the library. "Hey!" she said loudly. The two adults turned her way.

"I was just going to come look for you," Jenny said as she put an arm around Willow's shoulders.

"I hear you're going to see a coven tonight," Giles said.

Willow nodded as she moved over a little so Buffy was behind the adults as she headed for the doorway. "It should be fun," she replied. Buffy was out the door and Willow looked relieved. "I'm – a- I'm going to go use the bathroom first." She hurried out and the two watched her go.

"Teenagers," Jenny said. As different as Willow was, she still was a typical teenager.

Willow made it into the bathroom to see Buffy there. "They're so cute!" Buffy said. "The kissing was something else, but still, cute."

Willow nodded as she sat down on the counter by the sinks. "Apparently I'm going to stay at your place on Halloween."

Buffy shrugged. "My mom won't mind. She thinks you're wonderful."

Willow giggled at that as Buffy opened the book and flipped open the pages to the right area. "Wow, look at that," Buffy said and they looked to a picture of an 18th century woman in a beautiful dress with her hair done up. "She's beautiful."

"It's dated 1775," Willow told her. "Angel was eighteen and human."

"The kind of girl he hung around," Buffy said feeling sorry for herself.

"She's not that pretty," Willow said trying to be helpful. "Look at that waist, how tiny it is…" she saw that Buffy looked even worse, "it's freaky, not even normal."

Buffy smiled at her friend. "It must have been wonderful, put on a fabulous gown and go to the ball like a princess."

"Yeah, I still would like the right to vote," Willow replied to that and Buffy raised an eyebrow at her. "When I'm old enough."

The door to the bathroom opened and Cordelia walked in. She looked to the two of them as she went to the mirror to check her make up. "Made it out of the closet just now, huh?" Buffy asked.

Cordelia smirked their way. "Yeah, like either of you have anything of a life."

Willow looked to Buffy who looked a little pissed. "Well, not coming from a backwater town I had to be choosy about all the guys in L.A.," Buffy replied and Cordelia looked her way again from applying new lipstick.

"Please, Xander's just a phase; I'm looking for a bigger and better prize. Maybe Angel, he is a man after all," Cordelia told them. "And I've seen him lonesome at the Bronze a lot lately. Maybe I'll see him there tonight."

Buffy and Willow both looked black at that. Cordelia smirked as she went to finish her lipstick. "Ask yourself something Cordelia," Buffy told her and the brunette looked their way. Buffy pointed to herself and Willow. "Slayer, Witch, how far are you going to push them before they decided to get you back … with interest?"

Cordelia looked them over and an actual thought came into her mind. "You two are freaks," she told them and hurriedly left.

"Better than skanky freaks," Willow told Buffy and the blonde nodded in agreement.

**oooooooooo**

**That Evening…**

Spike sat on the end of the table watching a TV with another vampire. There on the screen was a video of Buffy fighting a vampire in a pumpkin patch. He had lost his favorite jacket and had stayed home since the fiasco at the Sunset Club due to his and Drusilla's injuries. "Here it comes, watch it! Rewind it and play it again," he told the vampire.

Drusilla sat at the other end of the table with an old deck of tarot cards laid out before her and Miss Edith by her hand. "You see that!" Spike said to her even though she wasn't watching and he knew it. "The way she stakes him with that thing! She's tricky. Baby likes to play."

"Shhhh my love," Drusilla told him as she watched her cards intently. "Daddy watches the Slayer. But he will help us."

Spike made a face at that, he didn't understand her most of the times when she was in her 'mood'. "Angel isn't one of us now, luv. He won't help us," he told her as he came around the table. "'Sides, once I know her I can kill her, then you'll be strong again and you can have your run of Sunnydale."

Drusilla laid out another card. "The Slayer isn't all, everything is switching," she said with a smile. "I see her, one who does not belong in this world."

Spike came over to look at the cards; they made no sense to him. "The red bird flingin' the fireballs, yeah?" he asked.

She smiled at this as she laid down another. "Yessss, she belongs to one the world rarely sees, one of hiding. Daddy took me once, the blood was so sweet. But they knew of us, hurt us and I cannot find my way back." Drusilla looked to him grasping his hand and he slid his arms about her. "They were not wanting the pesky humans around."

"She's a demon; the red bird's not human?" Spike asked looking very surprised.

"A witch, but not wicked," Drusilla told him. "But she can be, her power…" She smiled looking to Spike. "She would make us unstoppable, my Spike. She would be a beautiful childe."

Spike looked very surprised at this then smiled with her.

**oooooooooo**

**The Next Afternoon…**

"So you're dating Oz," Xander said as they found their way into a new store, Ethan's Costume Shop, on Main Street.

"No, one date," Willow said as they made their way along with all the others who were looking for something for Halloween which was two days away.

"A date could lead to dating, hence the word date," Buffy said as she looked with her. "Why are we here again?"

"Costumes are mandatory," Willow told her.

"I didn't even know this place was here," Xander said as he wandered down the aisle next to them.

"There were flyers all over school," Buffy said as she spotted something at the back wall. "Wow," she whispered. It was a beautiful 18th century dusty rose gown.

"Frills and all," Xander said coming over her way after a while.

"It's amazing Buffy," Willow said.

An older man, thin, around Giles's age came up. "Allow me," he told them. He took it off the display and held it up to Buffy in front of the mirror. "It's magnificent. I think we found a match, don't you?"

"I don't know," Buffy said. "It probably costs-."

"Oh," he said with a smile. "I feel moved to make you quite a deal."

Buffy looked surprised as he smiled and took the dress to ring it up. Willow and Xander both came back with bags. "Hey, what did you guys find?"

Xander proudly took out a toy gun. "Call me the two dollar costume king, baby!"

"Um, that's not a costume," Buffy told him.

Xander shrugged. "I got some fatigues from the old army surplus store."

Buffy looked surprised at that. "Will?" she asked hoping for something better.

Willow looked into her bag. "I went with a classic," Willow told her as she took out a plastic bag from her plastic bag showing a preformed ghost costume in it.

"A ghost?" Buffy said. "You know, Will, this is the one time of the year you can let down your hair and be anything."

"Like a witch," Xander said from behind Buffy and Willow scowled at him. Buffy nudged him to shut up.

"You could be something wild," Buffy continued.

"Like a witch," Xander said again and Buffy thumped him and he moved over to Willow away from painful Slayers.

Willow saw that Buffy was excited about dressing her up and Willow shook her head. "I don't get wild. Wild on me equal spaz," Willow told her and Xander nodded from behind that it was true.

Buffy sighed as the man came with a large garment bag. He smiled to the others. "Looks like you're ready to go," he told them as Buffy got out her money and handed it over. "Ethan, Ethan Rayne," he said putting out his hand to Willow. "Proprietor of the shop."

"Willow… customer of your shop," Willow said shaking his hand.

"A pleasure," Ethan said smiling her way as he looked her over.

"That was weird," Xander said looking back into the shop windows as the three left.

"Eh, skanky old man," Buffy replied as they headed for home. "Mocha?" she offered.

Willow smiled. "Mocha!"

Buffy laughed. "Come on skanky old man attractor, I'll buy you a mocha."

"Ew," Willow said.

"Double ew," Xander told them.

"When you aren't doing the nasty with Cordelia then you can say that," Buffy told him and Willow nodded at this.

Ethan watched them go and helped a few more guests before he went into the back room. He found a card in his wallet and punched in the numbers on a telephone there. "It's Rayne… yes, I've seen her… yes… there are no worries…all will be ready."

**oooooooooo**

**Halloween, 3:30 pm…**

"So are you meeting Angel?" Willow asked from the bathroom at Buffy's house.

Buffy smoothed down her dress looking at herself in her full length mirror. Her hair was a brown wig done in a style that completed her outfit. She, 20th century Buffy looking like an 18th century noble. "Later, Mom's out and were you going to go meet Oz?"

There was a sigh from the bathroom. "Maybe," Willow said.

"Alright, you can't hide in there forever," Buffy told her friend. "Come on out."

"No laughing," Willow replied as she slowly came into Buffy's room. She was in the outfit from the store, the rust midriff top and leather mini. Only now she had sheer stockings and knee hi leather boots with a black choker about her slim neck. Her hair was up and her make up was astounding.

"Wow," Buffy said seeing her breath taking best friend. "You look beautiful."

Willow's arms curled around her midriff to cover it. "But this just isn't me," she told Buffy.

"And that's the point," Buffy said. "It's the night to be you but not be 'you'. Sexy, wild, free, y'know?" The doorbell rang and she went to get it. "Xander's going to flip!"

**oooooooooo**

Buffy gave Willow another look as they took their groups towards designated houses. Willow looked away in her ghost costume. If Buffy could of she probably would have smacked her for being a coward. She had come down the stairs and Buffy had turned to see Willow the Ghost instead of Willow the hot witch.

"Are you mad at me?" Willow asked before the separated into their own groups.

Buffy sighed. "No, but Willow, you are beautiful. That look could be you if you'd believe in yourself." Willow was silent. "I'm not mad at you, Will."

Willow watched as her own group as they made their way along to houses. She was happy Buffy wasn't mad, and a part of herself was mad… at herself. She knew she could do things that no one she knew could. And if you thought about it, Cordelia was just a whiny brat who had no powers, nothing special about her whatsoever. What bugged Willow was that it mattered to her what people thought.

They headed for another house and the time went along nicely. Her group was good and she had a nice time. "We can go to a few more," she told them. "Then we're going to have to go back." It was almost six when she felt it, something in the air, something around her change, something magical. Willow looked to see little kids with demon masks change into tiny kid sized demons when it hit her. It felt like something was strangling her, taking the life out of her.

Willow grabbed at her neck watching in some blurry vision as the 'demon' children started to fight with each other, the woman from the house shut the door on them screaming. "I-I-," Willow got out then her eyes rolled back and she slumped to the ground… dead.

**oooooooooo**

Willow woke up a second later and stood up quickly wondering what had just happened. She found she was in the sexy outfit and looked down to see her body in the ghost outfit on the ground. "Oh no," she said as she looked around at the chaos about the suburban streets of Sunnydale. People were running every direction screaming and creatures were running after them, or setting things on fire, just causing lots of destruction. "Oh no!" Willow headed out to the street to find Xander carrying a real M-16 rifle. He was pointing it around at everyone. She couldn't blame him; it was crazy with what seemed to be real monsters and such running around everywhere in a normally quiet neighborhood. "Xander!" she called out to him and he turned her way and she stilled, she'd never had a gun pointed at her before and her hands went up automatically. "Xander listen to me!"

"Who are you?" he asked and there was a wild, demony scream behind them. He turned aiming his gun at what were once two children.

"No! No!" Willow yelled as she ran to stand in front of him between the gun and the kids. "They aren't real demons, they're kids!"

"They don't look like kids to me ma'am," Xander said.

"They are, trust me on that," Willow replied.

"I don't trust strangers ma'am," Xander told her looking at the chaos around them.

Willow looked confused at that. "What's with the ma'am? I'm Willow, your best friend."

Xander looked at her outfit. "Best friend of what?"

Willow scowled and covered her bare belly with her arms. "That's beside the point. You can't harm any of them, they aren't really demons."

They turned to hear a familiar scream behind them. There running down the sidewalk was Buffy in her noble outfit looking scared to death. "Buffy!" Willow called out and ran for her. "Come on!" she ordered to Xander. He didn't like that but he came.

Willow came to a stop in front of Buffy and Xander tried to stop from running into her but fell right through. He scrambled up and pointed his rifle at her. "Who the hell are you?"

Buffy screamed at all of this and ran off again. "Demons!"

Willow and Xander turned around to see six men all in black outfits and masks with goggles on come running their way. They didn't seem to be part of the crowd running around, they seemed to have a purpose. "Impedimenta!" Willow said. Nothing happened. Willow backed up a few steps as they came closer. "Petrificus Totalus!" she called out forcefully. Still nothing happened, they came running for them. "Run!" Willow told Xander and she began to sprint after Buffy.

Xander had his gun aimed at them and saw they were all carrying weapons as well. "Retreat… good idea," he muttered unhappily and headed off after the two girls.

Willow stopped when she saw Buffy huddling behind a big tree in a yard. "Buffy?" she asked.

"Stay back!" Buffy pleaded. "Whoever you are stay back!"

"Ooookay," Willow said stopping about five feet from her. "Buffy?"

"Who is this Buffy?" Buffy asked.

"Those men are still back there, can I shoot them?" Xander said running up and looking Buffy over. "What's with the ball gown? Sarge doesn't allow prostitutes on base."

"Prostitutes? Prostitutes!" Buffy said angrily as she stood up. "I am not one of those women of the night thank you very much!" She headed off into the street. She screamed and ran back to cling all over Xander. "A demon, a demon!"

Willow and Xander looked to see a car coming down the street, its lights on in the dark. "That's a car," Willow told her. "And does this look like a military base?" she asked Xander.

There was a ping and Willow saw something fly through her and strike a tree in front of her. They turned to see the men in black coming. "Buffy! What do we do?" Willow asked.

They turned back to see Buffy passed out on the ground.

**oooooooooo**

Willow phased through the door into Buffy's house and a moment later Xander kicked the door open with Buffy over his shoulder. "Buffy's mom isn't home," Willow said.

Xander set Buffy down and almost had the door shut when Cordelia burst in dressed in a torn cat costume and grabbed onto Xander. "Xander, I found you! Did you see the nightmare out there?" She looked over Xander's shoulder to see Willow watching and Buffy coming to on the floor.

Xander pushed Cordelia off. "I don't know what the hell you women want, but for now we need to barricade our HQ off."

Cordelia looked to him as he moved dressers and tables in front of doors. Then she looked to Willow. "What's going on? I was attacked by Jo-Jo the dog face boy, and you think Partytown's going to give me my deposit back?" Cordelia asked looking at her ruined outfit.

Willow shrugged. "They don't remember who they are," Willow told her then looked at her. "Do you know who you are?" Willow asked. Cordelia glared at her. "Okay, you do," Willow said and knelt down to look at Buffy.

"Hey!" Xander yelled as an arm was reaching through the window for him. His rifle was up and aimed.

"No! They're children, remember?" Willow told him.

There was gunfire outside and the sound of demons scattering. Cordelia looked to see a red light shining on her through the front window. "Down!" Xander said tackling her as a shot shattered the front window.

"Those you can shoot!" Willow said as the men in black came up. Xander was up on one knee and firing back forcing the men in black to take cover.

"We better find a way out of this!" Xander told her as he finished off his volley and took cover.

Willow looked around in frustration. She couldn't help since she couldn't touch anything and her magic wasn't working AND Buffy and Xander were acting weird. "How are we going to get through this without the Slayer?" she asked out loud to herself.

"What's a Slayer?" Xander asked.

Willow let out a breath. "Well this is fun."

**oooooooooo**

Spike watched from across the street as he lit up a cigarette and took a deep draw on it. "Someone is crowdin' in on my fun," he told a henchman vampire. He smiled as he looked to the mini demons running around creating terror with the mortals.

Drusilla came out from behind a tree licking her lips, she had just fed. "Did you find her, my love?" she asked.

"For a little bit," Spike said. "But others have come to play."

Drusilla frowned as she smiled at the mini demons too. "So long since I've had a childe. So long to take one under my wing."

"None to me, luv," Spike said. "We'll get her and take out the Slayer."

They saw a red headed girl leave the house at a run. Most of the men out front followed her but she moved faster, almost inhumanly. "They want my prize Spike!" Drusilla said unhappily. "I wish my prize for me, as does Miss Edith."

"Then we kill the tossers and take her," Spike said. "But I want my prize too, she's right close by."

"Ahhhh, Daddy has come to watch his Slayer," Drusilla said nodding across the street. Angel had taken out the two men in black still on the house and headed inside.

"Bollocks!" Spike muttered under his breath angrily as he flipped his cigarette away, Angel could go into the house, but he couldn't. "Right, we get yours pet and we'll find a way to mine."

**oooooooooo**

**Giles's Apartment…**

Willow ran through the wall into Giles's house to see the remains of dinner on the table and candles lit up. She should be out of breath running and hiding and dodging the men in black that had been following her. But Willow put her 'deadness' to good use, running through buildings, hiding in trees and so on. She had slipped them and come to find the one person that she knew could figure it out.

She heard something from upstairs and hurried up and went through the wall into the bedroom. "Giles!" Willow called out.

"Good god!" Giles said and Willow saw that there were only candles in here as well with two half empty wine glasses on the bed stand.

Willow saw the covers over lumps on the bed and Giles's head came out. Willow clapped her hands over her eyes. "I'm-I'm sorry!" she told him. "We need you!"

"Willow?" Jenny said and Willow cringed.

"How did you get in?" Giles asked.

"Dead, I'm dead, and Xander's a real soldier and Buffy's a helpless noble," Willow said turning away from them as she heard them get out of bed. "She was doing it to impress Angel and I don't know if Angel's ever going to get to notice it not if we're all dead by the kid demons and the men in black with guns who followed me-."

"Stop!" Giles said. "You may turn now, its okay."

Willow peeked through her fingers to see the two adults were dressed. "Oh good," she whispered her face was bright red.

"What are you wearing?" Jenny asked.

Willow looked down at herself. "It was Buffy's idea."

Giles motioned them to be quiet. "You said you were dead?"

Willow nodded and waved her hand through the wall to show them. "Something happened, like I was being strangled and I died."

"And Buffy was a noble woman," Giles said.

"Wasn't that her costume?" Jenny asked as she reached out and found she couldn't touch Willow, her fingers went through her.

"An-and Xander had fatigues on and a toy gun but it turned into a real one," Willow told her.

"And you?" Giles asked.

"I was a ghost," Willow said and the two adults looked to her outfit again. "W-well, not to start with, I got one at that new costume shop, the ghost one. I-," she stopped and looked to her outfit. "I put it on before we left."

"And everyone is like this?" Giles asked.

Willow nodded. "Buffy and Xander didn't know who I was, they weren't really themselves. Then Cordelia came-."

"What was she?" Jenny asked.

"She was in some unitard cat outfit," Willow said sullenly.

"My god, she turned into an actual feline?" Giles asked taking his glasses off.

Willow thought about this. "No… no she didn't, she was just the same old Cordelia." She looked to them. "A few of them, the ones in costume, didn't change."

"You and Buffy and Xander all went shopping together though," Jenny said as she put on her shoes.

Willow nodded. "A new place, Ethan's."

"And you all bought your costumes there?" Giles asked. Willow nodded. "Then we go there first."

**oooooooooo**

"I think they lost her," a vampire told Spike as they watched the men in the black masks hunting about the area for Willow.

Spike shrugged. "They aren't demons, they stink of human blood," he said.

"Not humanity," Drusilla whispered as she came up pushing the lesser vampire down and resting her elbows on his head and looked with Spike. "They are dark like night, ready for the hunt they are."

"What do they want my pet?" Spike asked.

"My prize, my pretty red prize," Drusilla told him with a girlish frown. "I want them gone."

Spike smiled. "Of course." He motioned to the others, six vampires and four 'demons' he had rounded up along the way and they came out of hiding to face down the black masked men.

"Back off vampire," the closest black mask said to Spike, "we aren't here for you."

"You're after the red bird, I know," Spike said with a grin as he puts up his fists. "That's what my princess wants, which means you don't get it." The four men were surrounded when they pulled out guns. "Ah, I'm weepin' in me boots," Spike laughed out, "bullets ain't much of a scare."

One shot at him and he let it hit him laughing. Spike stood up straight for a moment then his body started to shake. "W-w-w-what?" he cried out as he tumbled to the ground.

Drusilla came out of the shadows at this. "Attack them! Kill them for what they've done to my Spike!" The others ran at them while Drusilla rushed to Spike who was slowly sitting up his arms and legs still shaking. "Spike!" Drusilla said.

"Its'all right," Spike said as he slowly stood. "Just a nasty shock is all. Go hide, luv." He didn't wait to see her as he ran back into the fight really mad. He roared at one man who had a slash on his arm but had just cut down a vampire. He knocked the gun aside and punched the man hard in the face sending him into a 'demon'. Another man comes by reeling from two vampires on him. "No one makes a fool of me," Spike said as he head butted the man then bit him.

Spike was bloody and had a few cuts on him by the time they took all the black masked men down but he felt pretty good. He looked to see he had two 'demons' left and one vampire. "Dru? Come on, we've got to go." He looked around the area. "This isn't the time for games my pet, come on now. Prizes await and all." Once more he checked the area she wasn't there. "Damn it Dru."

**oooooooooo**

Giles opened the door to the closed costume shop. It was dark and all of the racks were empty, a few bits of paper and plastic bags were about but it was deserted. Jenny and Willow followed him in.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Giles called out.

Willow motioned to the back curtain; there was light coming from it. "Giles," she said softly pointing to it.

The three headed back and Giles pushed the curtain quietly out of the way and went in first with Jenny following. Willow went through the wall. There on a low altar was a two faced figurine with candles about it.

"Janus," Giles said.

"The Roman mythical god," Jenny said.

"What does this mean?" Willow asked.

"Primary division of self," Giles told them. "Male and female, light and dark-."

"Chunky and creamy," a man said and came out from the shadows into the light. It was Ethan the owner of the shop. "Oh, sorry, that's peanut butter."

Giles's face changed when he heard him and his eyes went hard. "Jenny, you and Willow get out of here."

"No," Jenny said. "This is important."

Giles looked her way. "I will take care of this. You need to go help the others."

Jenny looked to him for a moment then shook her head. "Fine, but you better be careful," she warned. Giles smiled to her and Jenny motioned to Willow to follow.

Giles faced Ethan. "Ethan."

"Ripper," Ethan said with a nasty smile. "Come to play have you?"

**oooooooooo**

Jenny and Willow hurried up the steps outside of the costume shop. "Wait, Willow," Jenny said and Willow turned her way. "You go on, help the others. I'm going to stay here."

Willow looked to the windows of the store. "Are you sure?"

Jenny nodded. "I think I can do more here."

"Okay," Willow replied and hurried off.

"Be careful!" Jenny said to her then turned to the steps and headed down them. "She's dead, how much more careful could she be?"

Willow ran as fast as she could, houses blurred and she came to a halt when she saw Spike headed down the streets with a smile on his face. "Oy red bird!" he called out to her. "I've come for you and that Slayer of yours. Hear she's not all of a Slayer tonight." Willow backed up a little as two arms came about her and then a body went through her. They rolled over to face up, it was a vampire. "What's this? How'd you do that?" Spike asked heading for her at a run.

Willow ran heading down streets and then into the business district of Sunnydale. She turned a corner and saw Cordelia and Xander running her way with Angel carrying Buffy in his arms not too far behind. "Guys, the other way!" Willow said coming up to them. "You've got to get inside!"

They stopped when they saw Spike and his group coming towards them.

"This way!" Angel told them. "Find an open warehouse!"

"Ladies, we're on the move!" Xander told them as he headed down the alleyway with the others following him.

Angel with his vampire strength and speed hurried ahead of them and found a door that was unlatched. "Over here!" he told them.

Xander came up and opened the large rolling door as Willow walked through the wall. "Check if there are any other ways in!" he called out as he closed the door while Angel laid Buffy down by Cordelia while Willow went to check for doors.

Xander had a few things stacked up to stop Spike and his group from getting in but Angel helped put more up while Buffy sidled up to Cordelia and wrapped her hands about the brunette's arm. "Oh faboo, more clinging," Cordelia said sarcastically.

"No other ways in Xander," Willow said coming back. "Giles and Jenny are trying to find a way out of this," she told them.

It didn't take long for the monsters to get in. The group ran for another part of the building and Willow felt sick that she couldn't do anything to help. Some had grabbed for her but they couldn't touch her.

With the upper hand, monsters holding Angel, Xander and Cordelia down Spike had Buffy in his grasp.

**oooooooooo**

Giles and Ethan circled about the small back room, Giles looking furious and Ethan looking smart-alecky. "What? No hug? Aren't you pleased to see your old mate, Rupert?" Ethan asked.

"I'm just surprised I didn't guess it was you," Giles said unhappily. "This Halloween stunt stinks of Ethan Rayne."

Ethan chuckled at that. "Yes, it does, doesn't it? Don't wish to blow my own trumpet, but its genius," he replied. "The very embodiment of 'be careful what you wish for'."

"It's sick, brutal, and it harms the innocent!" Giles told him angrily.

Ethan gave him a look. "Oh, and we all know that you are the champion of innocents and all things pure and good, Rupert. It's quite a little act you've got going here, old man," Ethan reminded him.

"It's no act. It's who I am," Giles said.

"Who you are?" Ethan said looking surprised. "The Watcher, sniveling, tweed-clad guardian of the Slayer and her kin? I think not." He looked him over as they circled some more. "I know who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of," he told him. The looked thoughtful. "But they don't, do they? They have no idea where you come from."

"Break the spell, Ethan. Then leave this place and never come back," Giles demanded as his temper began to flare.

"Why should I? What's in the bargain for me?" Ethan asked.

"You get to live," Giles told him seriously.

"Oh, Rupert, you're scaring me," Ethan said with a laugh. Giles struck out and punched him, not seeing that Jenny had been watching the whole thing from behind the curtain. Ethan was doubled over and Giles struck him in the face forcing him back up. Ethan's lip was split and he held his stomach. "That's it? That's all you've got?" Ethan asked. Giles accommodated him with a series of hard punches that finally put Ethan flat out on the ground. Giles bunched Ethan's shirt in his fist yanking him up.

"And you said the Ripper was long gone," Ethan said painfully.

"Tell me how to stop the spell," Giles demanded.

"Say 'pretty please'," Ethan replied toying with him. Giles let go and kicked him so hard in the kidneys that you could hear it. It made Ethan scream out in pain and Giles kicked him once more. Ethan looked horrible, blood smeared his teeth and mouth, he was bruised and had no fight left in him.

"Now, tell me how to stop the spell!" Giles said.

"Janus," Ethan whispered. "Break its statue."

Giles got up and hurried to the statue and with a strong lift brought it over his head and smashed it on the ground.

Jenny came in as the magic that bound the spell disappeared into the air. "What are you doing here?" Giles asked.

"I came to help," she told him as she looked to Ethan. "Seems you have everything in hand."

"We must hurry and help the others if we can," Giles told her as he tied Ethan up. He didn't want Ethan seeing Jenny too much; it could only hurt her in the long run.

**oooooooooo**

Spike held Buffy around the neck loving the petrified look on her face, she didn't even try to break free. "Look at you, shaking, terrified, alone… lost little lamb," he whispered into her ear. "I love it." He bent her backwards over a crate as Xander and Angel struggled with their captors.

"Can't you do anything Willow?" Angel asked.

Willow shook her head looking miserable and horrified that Buffy was going to die and there was nothing she could do. "No magic, ghost and all." Xander punched one of the monsters and got free from the other. "That guy you can shoot!" Willow told Xander pointing to Spike.

Xander reached for his M-16 and shouldered what was now a toy gun. "What the…" he said looking around.

Spike turned from his prey at the sound of crying children. There were no monsters there but his one vampire. They're all kids in costumes. He pulled up on Buffy's hair only to come away with a wig. He looked to it then to Buffy. She came up off the crate blonde and with a big grin.

"Hi, honey. I'm home," Buffy said and hit him with a right cross as hard as she could followed him with a punch in the stomach then a roundhouse to his face and followed that with a hard kick in the chest knocking him back into a pile of metal canisters. Spike threw a few punches at her but she knocked them away and he came up swing a piece of pipe he found. He swung it at her and she caught the end and pulled him with the force into the crate she had been up against. Like a staff she smacked him hard in the jaw then jabbed him harder in the stomach making him double over in pain. She looked to her friends. "You know what?" she told them. "It's good to be me." She looked around. "Where's Willow.

**oooooooooo**

Willow woke up where she had collapsed to the ground earlier. She got up and pulled the sheet off of her taking in deep breaths of air. She felt her body then touched the house she was by. She was corporeal again. She looked to her outfit and to the ghost sheet then with a thought threw it away in a trashcan as she headed down off the porch.

"Lovely girl, pretty," Drusilla said coming out of the shadows. "So many promises, so much power."

Willow looked her over. "Who are you?" she asked as she began to think up a few spells she could use against her knowing she was a vampire and a powerful one at that.

"Ah, one who would have you, one who sees your insides, all lovely and red, but with so much power mummy doesn't want to see them all just yet," Drusilla told her.

Willow looked at her like she was crazy which she was. "Mobilivirga!" she said to a dead stick on the ground. The stick flew up right at Drusilla but the vampire dodged it.

"Now, now little girl, mummy doesn't like that," Drusilla told her. "I'll come for you yet when mummy's ready." She slid into the shadows again and Willow tensed waiting but Drusilla was gone.

"Now that's just creepy," she told herself as she hurried to walk towards home.

**oooooooooo**

**Later That Evening…**

Ethan Rayne stood outside Jenny and Willow's house looking to it he put out his hand and felt the wards. He smiled a little, his face was a mass of bruises and wounds but he put a book on the ground just outside the wards and left.

He walked towards a taxi waiting for him as he pulled out a cell phone and punched in a number and listened. "Yes… no, your men are dead...," he said into the phone. "No… she is not. A watcher is in Sunnydale which most likely means a Slayer is as well and she knows the watcher… no, she will come… just not yet."

Willow came up to the house not so long after Ethan had left. She saw the book on the ground, it was thick, old and it felt of magic. Picking it up Willow took it inside with her.

**oooooooooo**

**Translation:**

Enclose

Mobilivirga - movable stick

**To Be Continued…**


	18. Chapter 18

**oooooooooo**

**Middle of November…**

"Oh goody," Buffy said as she, Willow and Xander walked down the hallway at school. There were banners, flyers and tons of adults everywhere. Career week for the juniors and seniors had started.

"At least you didn't have to make them," Willow told her pointing out the decorations.

"Good point," Buffy said.

"So are we going out, Bronze?" Xander asked as he dropped his backpack on the floor and sat at one of the tables in the lounge.

"My mom's on the warpath about me staying out late," Buffy told them as she dug around for some change. "I'm not going for a few nights, not until late for patrols; even then I'm cutting it close."

Xander smiled Willow's way. "Will, you and Oz?"

Willow shrugged. They hadn't really gone out since that first time, he was always busy with his band and she felt guilty leading him on. "We're taking it really slow. He's playing at the Bronze, but Jenny doesn't like me staying out after dark, not after what happened at Halloween. I'll have to ask."

"Wow, Will, Jenny's sounding like a real mom," Buffy said.

Willow smiled a little at that. "Not like yours, some things that use to bug my mom doesn't even faze her."

"Nothing fazes mine," Xander said. "Too bad they haven't taken off, I want new parents."

"You got us Xander," Buffy said. "I can yell at you for eating too much junk or staying up too late."

"Grounding is always fun," Willow said. Xander made a face at that.

"You've been grounded?" Buffy asked Willow.

"Once, when she broke a vase of her mom's," Xander said. Willow glared at him and he gave her a sad look. "Yes, I admit it! I broke it, but ran back home."

Buffy laughed at that, her smile faltered when she saw Amy Madison walk across the main foyer for the stairs, her friends were facing the opposite way so they didn't see her. It was the first time in months she had seen her. "I-, um," Buffy said standing up. "I need to get to a class, homework and that, catch you guys later."

The two watched her skirt around the crowds of students heading for the stairs. "Later," Xander said as he took up one of the questionnaires for the juniors. "Are you a people person, or do you prefer keeping your own company? Well, what if I'm a people person who keeps his own company by default?" he asked Willow.

"What if you didn't like your own company and yet weren't a people person," she told him as she stood up.

Xander hurried to follow her. "I'd say you were probably going to be jobless… or a serial killer."

They laughed as they headed for class.

Buffy followed Amy along the hallways until the taller blond came to a section that didn't have any students in. Amy turned to face her. "I could feel you," Amy told her. She looked about the same as Buffy remembered but her eyes didn't have the innocence from their time trying out as cheerleaders almost a year ago and she was skinnier than Willow which was unhealthy.

"Ask me if I care," Buffy replied seriously.

Amy's eyebrow went up. "Not so nice now are you?"

"No reason to be, seeing you wanted to get Willow hooked on dark magic," Buffy told her. "I didn't think you'd be back in Sunnydale."

Amy shrugged. "No choice, if I wanted to live with my dad again I had to go back to school."

Buffy moved up closer to her until she was almost in her face and the Slayer was out, Amy didn't look so confident anymore, she looked scared. "You stay away from Willow. If I find out you've done anything to her, the whole 'sanctity of human life' goes out the window… got me?" she asked deadly serious.

Amy swallowed hard. "Got it."

"Good," Buffy said and left her to head to her own class. She headed outside and for the stairs to the lower level when she saw Cordelia walking for the stairs. She went down and Cordelia stood in her way.

"Buffy," Cordelia said. "I see you're not so helpless anymore." There was that trademark smirk that just set Buffy's teeth on edge. She couldn't believe she was once as cutting as Cordelia was. Her little gaggle of friends giggled at Cordelia's nastiness.

"Nope," Buffy said with the same smile showing she was ready for her. "I'm just fine thanks to your boyfriend."

Cordelia's eyes narrowed as her friends looked curious. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, that's right, your secret boyfriend that you don't want your 'real' friends to know about," Buffy said, "after you slapped Willow in the face with it, that was fun."

Harmony looked confused which was normal for her. "What's she talking about?" she asked.

"Shut up Harmony," Cordelia said. Harmony gave them a look but was still listening. "I think you better leave it alone," Cordelia ground out at Buffy.

"And you better be careful what you do in the future," Buffy said.

Cordelia glared at her with a little shake of her head. "Come on," she told her friends and headed up the stairs. Buffy continued on to class. Cordelia looked at her go from the upper level. Things had changed since Buffy had come. Willow was stronger let alone she was a witch, Xander had more confidence and he was looking white trash hot which bothered her. "I wish Buffy Summers had never come to Sunnydale," she said under her breath.

"Granted," someone said from behind her.

Cordelia turned to look at who said that only to disappear from that spot. None of her friends noticed.

**oooooooooo**

**That Night…**

Willow sat in the living room after supper. Jenny was in her computer room working on something. Jenny had vetoed going to the Bronze and Willow had called Xander to tell him she couldn't make it but he could come over, he planned to be there in an hour. With her homework done Willow headed for her bedroom to get a book she had found outside a few weeks ago.

She pulled it out from the bottom shelf of her bookcase and went out to the living room to read. That was a nice thing, her mother Sheila didn't really care for Willow to 'lounge about' the house reading. So she had stuck to her room when her parents were there.

She looked to the cover as she had a few times but never had a chance to get to it. There was nothing on it, no words, no picture. Willow could feel the magic come from it, it wasn't wizarding magic it was wiccan. Opening the book she turned to the pages and her eyes narrowed. "What's-," Willow stopped. "It looks like German," she muttered to herself. She knew some from her friends in Germany, but they all spoke English so she never really had to learn it. She did know a dirty beer drinking song that was unrepeatable.

Jenny stepped out of the computer room to stretch and get a drink when she saw Willow curled up on the couch with a book. That was nothing new; Willow was always getting books on everything. Nothing was safe from the red head's brain that retained all that knowledge.

"So-… sohn über doo-un- dunkel," she heard Willow said. "Goat- gott über… gott über na-nacht?"

Jenny hurried her way when she saw little mists of dark magic begin to form about Willow. "Stop Willow!" Jenny demanded.

Willow looked up and saw the mist about her and her chest burned. "What-?"

Jenny looked to the book and grabbed it from her. "Downstairs now!" Jenny told the teenager.

Willow looked stunned as Jenny grabbed her arm hauling her up she led her quickly downstairs to the casting room. All the wards lit up and Willow felt herself begin to tremble. "I can feel it, what is it?" she asked as Jenny lit white candles placing them around Willow. Willow looked to her locket, it was glowing and it hurt.

"Don't move!" Jenny said as she found salt and a few herbs.

"What's going on?" Willow asked as she watched the mist moving about. They came nowhere near the locket.

"Dark magic, whatever you were reading it was dark!" Jenny said as she sprinkled the salt and herbs in a circle about Willow.

Willow cried out in pain as the darkness hurt her when the salt and herbs lit up. "Jenny!" she called out as she tried to take her locket off, it was burning her as was the darkness swirling about her.

"I'm going to draw it out," Jenny told her as she took out her talisman. She looked to see that Willow's eyes and hair were turning black. "Just stay where you are!"

Willow looked to her hands, the dark mist formed there and a wicked looking knife formed in her hands.

"ščit!" Jenny said. The salt and herbs flared into light as Willow dropped the knife when a light from the locket hit it and it disappeared into smoke. "Don't think about anything!"

"How do I do that?" Willow asked. "I don't want what's there!" She closed her eyes as three black mist figures with glowing red eyes appeared about her. She screamed when she saw them and stood.

"Don't move!" Jenny told her. She had two books out and was looking through them at a furious pace. "Don't move or it will hurt!"

"What about them?" Willow asked, the figures moved to stay from the light of Willow's locket.

"Meditation, clear your mind," Jenny said. "Here, here…!" she said taking the book and went to her herbs again. She pulled out four kinds and took them to the circle. One of the figures lashed out at her, its claws scraping on the magical light holding it there and the inhuman scream of pain took both her and Willow to their knees covering their ears.

"I'm not doing it, I swear I'm not!" Willow got out as the ground began to shake.

"The Hellmouth," Jenny whispered in horror. She scrambled for her book and the herbs. She threw the herbs on the light about Willow as she spoke. "Jaz oklic svoj kri , kri od stari ljudje. izpust svoj , jaz od svetloba , izpust temoten prislon v kraj velblod! Obstati zgubljen!"

Willow felt it; bits of it leave her swirling about in the madness of the circle they were blocked into. Whatever touched the light of the locket was vaporized, but there was too much the darkness had no place to go. Jenny reached over and cut the circle of salt and herbs with her finger and the darkness swarmed out shattering the windows in the basement they fled back to the Hellmouth. Covering herself Jenny felt things bite and scratch at her until it was quiet. Jenny looked up feeling scratches on her back she sat up and looked to Willow who was still kneeling looking to her hands. She had streaks of blood on her cheeks and arms and she looked horrified.

Jenny came over and held her. "Is it gone?" Willow asked.

Jenny looked to her talisman and to Willow's locket, Willow's chest was red but intact. They were both calm. "I hope so," Jenny said. "I hope so."

"What was it?" Willow asked.

"Essence of the Hellmouth, you took some in when you faced it last spring," Jenny told her as she looked around the room. The wards were silent but anything that wasn't protected against evil was destroyed.

Willow was silent for a long while. "Can we make sure it's gone?" she whispered.

Jenny kissed the top of Willow's head, just like a mom, though Willow's mom never did that. "Yeah, let's make sure."

They got up and Jenny motioned to the book that started the whole mess. "What's that?"

Willow shrugged. "I found it outside on the driveway a few weeks ago."

Jenny nodded. "Okay, here's a rule. No more picking up strange spellbooks without showing them to me and or Rupert. Okay?"

Willow nodded as Jenny took her upstairs to clean her wounds.

**oooooooooo**

"Read it again," Spike told the frumpy looking vampire who sat at the long table in Spike's lair reading from a big, old, book. Drusilla sat at the other end with her tarot cards.

"Well, I'm not sure. It could be, uh... ," the vampire said shrugging. "Deprimere... ille... bubula... linter."

Spike paged through the dictionary he was carrying. "Debase, the beef, canoe," Spike translated. The vampire gave him a stupid smile that maybe it was right and Spike punched him in the face rocking the vampire back in his seat. "Why does that strike me as not right?" Spike asked angrily. The vampire looked away sheepishly to the book.

"Spike, come dance," Drusilla asked holding out a hand.

"Give us some peace would you? Can't you see I'm working?" Spike yelled at her. Drusilla pulled her hand away and looked hurt, her lip pouting up and she whined at his anger. Spike came her way, his voice and demeanor changed to kindness. "Oh, I'm sorry, kitten. It's just this manuscript. Supposed to hold your cure, but it reads like gibberish. E-even Dalton here, the big brain, he can't make heads or tails of it," Spike told her.

Drusilla put a hand to her head. "Oh feel it, Spike. Mummy's childe is out playing."

Spike looked curious. "This Willow girl, yeah?"

Drusilla smiled. "Yeah, dark she has in her, dark no one but I can see." She gasped then went limp with a little whine. Spike held her up then settled her back in her chair.

"You know I can't stand to see you like this," Spike said smoothing back some of Drusilla's dark hair. "We're runnin' out of time and that bloody slayer and the little witch keep messin' up our plans!"

"Shh, shh," Drusilla said calming him a little. "It will all work out. You'll make it right."

"Damn right I will," Spike said looking to the frumpy vampire. "You got it figured out!" he demanded standing up as Drusilla turned over more tarot cards. "Come on now, enlighten me!"

"It-it looks like Latin, but it's not even a language that I can tell of," the vampire said.

"Well make it one!" Spike demanded picking the vampire up by his collar ready to hit him again. "I want the cure!"

"Don't…" Drusilla said.

Spike looked her way. "Why not?" he asked punching the vampire in the stomach. "Some people find pain very inspirational."

"He can't," Drusilla said pointing to a card. Spike dropped the vampire and came to see. "He needs a key."

Spike saw a card with a mausoleum on it. "This it, some code to unlock the book?" he asked and she nodded. "I'll send the boys pronto!"

**oooooooooo**

**The Next Morning…**

Giles looked to the book Jenny had brought to school. Buffy, Xander and Willow were trailing behind them watching curiously. The two were a couple and their closeness showed it.

"I'm not sure what it is other than dark magic book. There's no title page, and nothing on the cover to indicate where it originated from," Giles was telling Jenny.

"You okay?" Buffy asked Willow. She had some scratches on her face and arms and her face was paler than usual, but she looked okay.

Willow nodded. "Jenny thinks all the icky stuff is out, but we aren't sure. Scared the bajeebies out of me and Jenny and it's weird to know that I was carrying part of the Hellmouth around in me."

"That sounds wrong," Xander said making a face.

"It is wrong, Xander, it's the Hellmouth," Buffy replied as the group went into the library.

"No it sounded like she was having a kid or something," Xander said and Willow looked displeased at that. "Not that you are."

"I'll definitely check it out," Giles was telling Jenny. They were very close now and the three teenagers were smiling. Even Willow who had seen the two make out several times.

"Feel the passion," Willow whispered to her friends.

"Uh huh," Xander replied in the same voice of amusement.

"Willow," Jenny warned.

Willow coughed a few times. "Coughing, not speaking."

"Do you still want to do extra credit Saturday?" Jenny asked. Willow nodded and Buffy and Xander looked Willow's way

"What's on Saturday?" Xander asked.

Jenny looked his way. "I'm reviewing some computer basics for the couple of students who've fallen behind. Willow's helping out," she told him.

Xander began to laugh. "Those poor schlubs have to attend school on Saturday!" he said with a grin.

Jenny smiled too. "Nine a.m. okay with you, Xander?" she asked.

Xander's smile faded as Willow and Buffy smiled and Willow nodded that it was true, he had to go. "Got a bit of schlub on your shoe there," Buffy told him.

"Well, Cordelia's gonna meet us," Jenny told them as she looked through her bag.

"That should be fun," Buffy said looking to Willow.

"I haven't even seen her, not for a while anyway," Willow said and the two girls looked at Xander.

He shrugged. "Guess she's busy, but not with me."

Jenny smiled to Giles. "Walk me to class?"

"Pleasure," Giles told her as they headed out the doors.

"Look at them, "Buffy said.

"A twosome of cuteness," Xander said. "Hey, Will. Maybe he'll be your dad."

"Jenny's not even my mom, so probably not," Willow replied.

"They could get married then you'd live with them," Buffy said.

Willow made a face. "That would be weird." Buffy and Xander's faces agreed with that and they headed out for class.

Giles came back from walking Jenny to find a detective and two officers waiting for him.

**oooooooooo**

**That Night...**

Buffy knocked on Giles's door for the fifth time when finally he opened it the smell of lots of alcohol drifted off of him. "Yes, Buffy, what did you need?" he asked bleary eyed.

Buffy looked confused. "Tonight, hospital, blood bank, vampires, any of this ring any memories?" He still looked confused. "After last night when you had a conniption over me losing that vamp at the big stone thingy in the cemetery and now tonight?"

Giles blinked a few times. "Oh yes, uh, were you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Buffy said looking at him like he was crazy. "My feelings a little. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine, - I'm in the middle of something extremely important. I'll talk with you tomorrow," Giles told her and shut the door in her face.

"O-kay," Buffy muttered to the door. "I wonder if he's going senile?" She headed for home as Giles sat down at his desk.

There on a list were five names. All but two had been crossed off, his and Ethan Rayne's. Giles rolled up his sleeve and there on his arm was a tattoo like one on the body of Philip Henry who had been found outside Sunnydale High that morning. Giles did not look happy.

"So you're back," he said looking in a nearby mirror.

At the city morgue the locker with the body of Philip Henry opened from the inside.

**oooooooooo**

**The Following Night…**

Angel smiled as he watched Buffy ice skate. It had taken some time but Buffy had slowly forgiven him for stopping her from killing Drusilla. He had explained that he knew her, but the other stuff… how could he explain just how bad Angelus was? Anyway, now they were out on a date. Or more like a 'watch my girlfriend skate date'. He enjoyed it.

He was concerned as Buffy wiped out on the ice sliding back to the retaining wall. "Buffy!" he called out as a huge, scary looking one eyed man came rushing out from some section doors and caught Buffy around the neck, pulling her up he began to strangle her against the top of the wall. Angel ran as fast as he could towards them seeing Buffy struggling. Together they fought him and won. Buffy taking him out with the blades on her ice skate at his neck. Neither of them saw others who were watching.

A young pretty black woman slipped out of the skating rink unheard. "You are looking for them?" a heavily Slavic accented voice asked.

She turned to see a man almost to his golden years, tall in stature but with vengeful eyes in the shadows of the building. "De vampires, yes," she replied in a Jamaican accent.

He smiled. "I too vish this, I vill help you." Her eyes narrowed and he held up his hand to show a signet ring on one. "You know about this ring, ya? It vill tell you who I am."

She looked to it then to him and nodded. "What are ya wantin' den?" she asked.

**oooooooooo**

**Saturday Morning…**

"You know, this isn't right," Xander complained as he followed Jenny and Willow through the school halls to the computer labs. "I mean, Cordelia isn't even here. When are we going to need computers in real life anyway?"

"School, work, games," Jenny said as she unlocked the door. The three went in and Xander and Willow took a seat by each other at two computers.

"I think computers are on the way out and paper is coming back in," Xander told her.

"Along with the abacus," Willow said looking to her friend.

Xander shook his head. "There aren't enough abaci in the world."

"Okay, we'll start on…Buffy!" Jenny said and the two looked her way to see Buffy in the doorway.

"You didn't have to come, but sit and be with those who must sacrifice for the name of school," Xander said happily. He looked more excited. "Maybe there's a problem where we must leave and not be here."

"Have any of you seen Giles?" she asked looking at Jenny specifically.

"Not since yesterday," Jenny told her.

"He's not answering his door, I went to see him the night before last when he didn't show up for our meeting and … and I think he was drinking," Buffy told her. "He wasn't there yesterday either."

Jenny looked surprised at this. "He was home alone drinking?"

"But tea… right?" Willow said.

"It wasn't tea, Will," Buffy replied seriously.

Xander didn't look shocked. "Yup, I knew it would happen, someone wound up that tight? It happened to my uncle Rory. Stodgiest taxidermist you ever met then 'bam', it was booze, whores, and fur flyin'." He stopped and looked Buffy's way. "Were there whores?"

Willow smacked his arm and he shifted away from her. "He was alone," Buffy said. "Maybe I'll check the library again, where else does he go?"

Jenny looked thoughtful. "I could check some places out."

"You and Willow go. Xander go check around the school and the park, see if he's wandering or something," Buffy told him.

They all headed off as Buffy went back to the school library. She was almost to Giles's office when she heard something in the stacks up on the second level. She stilled when she saw a shadow move across one of the bookcases in the anteroom. Sneaking she quickly headed up the stairs, down the main aisle and through the French doors. The bookcase next to her began to tip her way but Buffy rolled out of the way and stood up to face a man she recognized, he was all battered and bruised. Dodging away from her he hurried for the exit limping heavily. Buffy caught up and grabbed him by the arm.

"I know you! You were in that costume shop!" she accused him.

"I'm pleased you remember," he said trying to get out of her grip but she held him tighter.

"You sold me that dress for Halloween and nearly got me killed!" she told him.

"But you looked great," he said. She glared at him and hit him hard in the jaw. "Oww!" he said holding his jaw. "So now we're even?"

"I'll let you know when we're even," Buffy said firmly. "What are you doing here?"

"Snooping around," he told her.

"Honesty, nice touch."

He shrugged. "It's one of my virtues." He smiled. "Not really," he finished.

"I've got a great idea," Buffy said planting him on a chair when he tried to leave again. "Why don't I just call the police and have you arrested for breaking and entering, and then I can get back to my fun Saturday?"

"Yes,… the police," he said straightening up a little and looked worried. "Well, they'll have all those questions, and they'll really need Rupert to answer them all."

Buffy's brow furrowed. "You know Giles?"

"We go back, way back," he said then looked interested. "You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"

Buffy wheeled Ethan into Giles's office and picked up the phone. "Let's find out," Buffy replied.

"Ask him about the mark of Eyghon," Ethan told her.

She dialed his number and he answered. "Giles, it's me," she said watching Ethan like a hawk as she listened. "What's the mark of Eyghon?" she asked. "Giles?"

"Cat got his tongue?" Ethan asked with a smile.

Buffy smacked him on the head hard making him shut up. "I'm in your office with someone who claims to be an old friend of yours. Ethan Rayne?" She listened and she was getting angry. "I'm not going anywhere until you give me some answers!" she demanded.

Buffy and Ethan looked up at an odd sound and a window crashed down on them. A weird whitely-pale skin man came crawling through the window. Buffy threw the phone at him but the man kept coming. Buffy and Ethan ran out of the office. The man followed after Buffy, she kicked him in the chest and rolled over the counter away from him. Ethan followed her.

"Ethan," the man said in a weird voice to match the rest of him.

"What is this zombies R us?" Buffy asked.

Xander came into the library. "He's not- holy zombie on a stick!" he said scrambling back.

"Don't let him get away!" Buffy said when Ethan ran for it. Xander caught him, with his injuries he wasn't much of a challenge.

Buffy ran for the book cage and the zombie man followed her. Sidestepping the door zombie man went in and she locked the door behind him. "Well that was fun," Buffy said as they sat Ethan down in a chair.

Jenny and Willow came back as Giles came running in soon after. "Buffy, are-," he stopped when he saw who was there. He went over by the cage. "It can't be."

"It can," Ethan said with a smile. "Hello Ripper."

Giles strode up to Ethan and lifted him up by the hair on the back of his neck, shocking everyone but Jenny at this attitude, he was really mad. "You should have left when I told you!" he threatened him. "You put everyone I love in jeopardy!"

"Then you should have left as well!" Ethan said and the two stared each other down.

"Who's Ripper?" Buffy asked. It wasn't answered as Principal Snyder came through the doorway.

"What the hell is going on in here? It's a Saturday, you're supposed to be working, aren't you?" he demanded. That wasn't answered either when zombie man broke through the cage door throwing Jenny back into Snyder knocking both of them out.

"Mobilicorpus," Willow said and Jenny was moved out of the way as zombie man reached for Buffy while Snyder landed hard on the floor. Buffy kicked zombie man in the chest three times forcing him back against the cage and he tried for her again, but before anything could happen his eyes went wide and he turned into a puddle of goo landing near Snyder.

Giles helped Jenny up as they looked to the goo, some of which got on the principal. Not surprising no one went to help him. "Where's Ethan?" Buffy asked. The group looked around to see that the man had snuck out.

**oooooooooo**

They all sat far away from the goo as Giles nursed his headache and Jenny nursed hers. His from too much alcohol, hers from being hit with a door. Snyder left with a headache a few minutes after he was knocked out not remembering what happened, but the others didn't care, good riddance. Giles was examining the ring Buffy took off the man that tried to kill her last night at the skating rink.

"This guy was hard-core, Giles," Buffy told him from where she and Willow were perched on a table while the others had chairs. "Angel was freaked by that ring."

"He's not overreacting Buffy," he said with a sigh. "It's only worn by a member of the Order of Taraka, a society of deadly assassins dating back to King Solomon's time."

"Didn't they beat the Elks this year in the Sunnydale adult bowling league championships?" Xander asked with a smile trying to lighten the mood.

"Their credo is to sow discord and kill the unwary," Giles replied.

"Bowling is a vicious game," Xander said with a solemn nod.

"That's enough, Xander!" Giles yelled at him and Xander looked down in shame not use to being yelled at over a joke. Buffy, Willow and Jenny looked surprised at this. Giles closed his eyes and tried to calm down. "Sorry, it's just not the time for jokes. I need to think." He took his glasses off looking tired beyond his years.

"Why are they after me?" Buffy asked.

"'Cause you're the scourge of the underworld?" Willow offered.

Buffy shook her head. "I haven't been all that scourgey lately."

"I think the best we can do is find a secure location," Giles said finally. "Somewhere out of the way you can go until we decide on the best course of action."

"Okay," Buffy replied, she was upset. "Now you and Angel have both said to run for the hills. Are you saying I can't handle this? That I'm not strong enough to fight these people?"

"They're a breed apart, Buffy," Giles told her. "U-unlike vampires they have no earthly desires but to collect their bounty. Where there is one there will be another and another. They won't stop coming until the job is done."

Buffy sat down again. "Okay, we have two problems. The Order of terrace-."

"Taraka," Willow corrected.

"That and this Eyghon thing," Buffy finished.

"Eyghon is my problem," Giles said. "So is Ethan."

"What about Spike and his spell he's looking for?" Willow asked.

Jenny looked to her purse when it beeped. She took out her phone and looked at the number. "Can I use your office Rupert?" she asked. He nodded to her.

"Well I got you," Buffy said to Willow. "And Xander and Angel. That should make us even on both the Terrace and Spike front."

"Buffy," Giles said quietly.

"Just find what you can, Giles," Buffy told him as she got down from the table. "We'll deal with them as they come."

**oooooooooo**

**Willy's Bar…**

Willy is a scruffy little creepy man. The kind you just know is a snitch. He looked over to see a figure in the shadow of the doorway while sweeping up the place after hours. "We're closed! Can't you read the sign?" he asked. Angel stepped into the light and Willy stilled his broom. "Oh, uh… hey, Angel," he said plastering on a worried smile. "Didn't recognize you there in the dark… what, uh... what can I do for you tonight?" he asked.

"I need some information," Angel told him as he came closer.

"Yeah?" Willy said laughing nervously as he backed away from him towards the bar. "Man, that's too bad, 'cause… I'm stayin' away from that whole scene. I'm living right, Angel."

Angel nodded a little at this but showed he didn't believe him. "Sure you are Willy. And I'm taking up sunbathing." He made his way over by the pinball machine but his eyes never left the bartender.

"C'mon man. Don't be that way!" Willy said getting around behind the bar. "I-treat you vamps good! I-I- don't hassle you, you don't hassle me. Everybody's happy, right?"

Angel watched him. "Who sent them?" he asked quietly.

"Who sent who?" Willy countered as he started to sweat a little.

Angel leaned against the pinball machine. "The Order of Taraka."

Willy shook his head nervously as he began to sweat more. "I ain't in the l-loop. I don't know nothin' about that, I swear!"

Angel crossed over the floor towards the bar. "Let's try again," he said, his demeanor getting dark. "The Order of Taraka, they're after the Slayer."

Willy laughed nervously again. "C'mon man," he begged.

"Was it Spike?" Angel asked stepping towards the bartender.

"Look… Angel, I-I got some good pig's blood in-," Willy started.

Angel grabbed Willy up and smacked his head into the bar. Startled Willy's arms flung empty bottles crashing to the floor. Angel pressed down hard on Willy's head with his hand. "You know, I'm a little rusty when it comes to killing humans," Angel said. "It could take a while.

"Spike'll draw and quarter me, man!" Willy said from underneath Angel's hand.

"I'll take care of Spike," Angel told him.

"You know he ordered those guys!" Willy finally admitted. "Spike's sick of your girl getting in the way!"

"Where can I find him?" Angel asked.

"Okay! Okay!" Willy pleaded. "He and that crazy chick-."

Angel was knocked back by a kick in the face before Willy could say anymore. He fell back onto the floor dazed for a moment and looked up to see his attacker. It was a young black girl with braided rows and from her stance she was going to back up the kick she just did. Grabbing Willy's broom she broke off the end and jumped at Angel with her makeshift stake.

The instant she attacked Angel rolled out of the way and Willy ran out of the bar. Angel was up and ready for the young woman, ducking a swing from her. She tried to stab right at him but Angel knocked her arm away only to have her follow up with a punch to his face from the other hand. It was hard enough to hurt him, this was no ordinary girl. Using her momentum the girl spun around into a roundhouse kick, the force knocking him through a door into the back room. There were boxes of beer and an old storage cage there.

Angel landed by crashing through several cases of beer. Mad now he jumped up and his game face was on. They fought with twists and kicks until she punched him hard several times in the stomach and then hit him with a harder right hook to his jaw. He landed backwards through the cage door into a shelf making several things fall onto him.

"Who are you?" Angel asked from his prone position, she stood in the doorway to the cage. "I won't hurt you."

She laughed at that and swung the door closed to the cage and set the bolt on it. Angel was up and slammed against the door. "He call ya Angelus," she said to him, her accent clear. "I tink ya are not. Too easy for de scourge of Europe."

"Who did?" Angel asked. "Spike? Are you with the Order?"

"Order?" she said moving back a little. "I am de Slayer, vampire. Dat girl, de one I saw you wit before."

Angel looked mad. "You stay away from her."

"Ya are in no position ta treaten," she told him.

"When I get out of here I'll do more than threaten!" he said angrily as his fingers dug into the bars on the cage.

"He tells me not ta kill ya, vampire," she said. "I do not because he leads me to ya. But I suggest ya move quickly." She smiled as she looked to the small window in the backroom and Angel looked with her. "De sun will be comin' in a few hours. And even I cannot control de sun." She padlocked the cage. "More dan enough time for me ta find ya girlfriend."

"Wait!" Angel said as she left. "You're really a Slayer?"

She looked his way. "I am de Slayer," she said taking offense as she crossed her arms at her chest looking to him like he was filth.

"Then you must have read about me. Angel, the vampire with a soul," he told her trying anything to get her to let him out.

The girl looked his way. "I have heard of Angelus, but no Angel," she told him and left. Angel rattled the cage in anger.

**oooooooooo**

**WAY early the next morning…**

Willow came to the school really early. Jenny had left a message that she was out and would be back in a day or so and listed the rules clearly to her. Willow smiled at that, either Jenny didn't get that Willow followed rules, or Willow was breaking them and becoming a rebel and she didn't know it, or Jenny was just worrying. She thought about it as she opened the door to the library to see Buffy, Giles and some beautiful black girl with them around the large center table.

"Hey," she said happily glancing the girl over discreetly.

"Identify yourself!" the young woman demanded of her going into a defensive mode. Willow backed up a step; it was like when Buffy was mad.

"Back off pink ranger!" Buffy told her. "She's my friend."

'Pink ranger' girl looked confused. "Friend?"

"Yeah," Buffy said sarcastically. "As in person you hang with?"

"I do not understand," the girl replied.

Willow looked confused at Buffy who rolled her eyes and sat down to look at Giles. "You try," she said to her watcher with a sigh. "I give up."

Giles looked to Kendra, the young woman who was apparently the new Slayer. Or so she claimed. "Y-you see Kendra. Buffy has f-friends."

Willow sidled up by Buffy. "Why would you not have friends?" she whispered.

Buffy shrugged looking sullen. "You allow dis, sir?" Kendra asked shocked.

"W-w-well, not so much as allow," Giles started uncomfortably.

"I'm my own woman," Buffy said firmly. "I do what I want."

"She is quite independent," Giles finished.

"What's going on?" Willow asked completely confused.

"A really big mix up," Buffy told her.

Giles looked to Willow. "Apparently- um… it seems as though a new Slayer has been called to Sunnydale."

Willow's brow furrowed and Buffy pointed to her. "See! It's not right!"

"How's that possible?" Willow asked. "I thought there was just one Slayer?"

"Only when the current one dies is another one-," Giles stopped and looked Buffy's way. "You did die."

Buffy looked insulted. "Only for a minute."

Kendra glanced her way now. "Ya died?"

"Just a little," Buffy defended herself as she held her fingers a little bit apart.

"My god," Giles said sitting on the edge of the table. "Two Slayers."

"You could retire," Willow said to Buffy. "Get a pension and everything."

Buffy smiled at that. "You sound like Xander."

Willow made a face. "I'm not that bad at jokes am I?"

The two laughed as Kendra looked to them like they were insane. Giles could see where this would really confuse her. "They- they have their own unique sense of humor," he told her.

"I see dis," Kendra said looking Willow over and the redhead blushed. "You let her fight?"

"She's a witch," Buffy said.

Kendra now looked to Willow with interest, her eyebrow going up and Willow's face went as red as her hair making Buffy smile. "Earth magic, I have heard of dis, dere is a woman in my village who can do tings."

Giles shook his head to the girls from behind Kendra. Wizarding magic was secret for a reason, and so far the Council knew nothing about it other than the few odd inquiries Giles had made to them. Kendra was a by-the-books girl and she would inform her watcher and he the council.

"Look, I know this is all a big mistake, but I'm not dead anymore," Buffy told Kendra. "You can go home. Personally having you here creeps me out a little."

"I cannot," Kendra told her. "I was sent here for a reason. Mr. Zabuto says all de signs indicate a dark power is comin' to rise in Sunnydale."

Willow looked to Buffy. "Is that new?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not really, they rise pretty much every day here." She looked to Kendra. "So what's your big plan here? Attack at random until you find the big bad?"

"Of course not," Kendra replied.

"Then why did you attack me?" Buffy asked. Willow looked curious now. Buffy waved it off, she would tell her later that she had been at Angel's waiting for him when she had to fight Kendra off of her.

"I tought you were a vampire," Kendra said.

"Well swing and a miss there," Buffy said standing up and Willow followed suit.

"I had good reason; did I not see ya kissin' a vampire last night?" Kendra asked.

Willow became defensive for her friend. "She would not!" She stopped and looked to Buffy. "Oh… but you do that. With Angel," Willow said.

"Yes! Right!" Buffy said looking justified. "You saw me kissing Angel."

"Angel, you mean Angelus, like de man said," Kendra told her.

"What man?" Buffy asked coming in closer to the other Slayer, the energy of who was alpha was charging up.

"De one that led me to dis Angelus, he said his name was Angel but I did not believe him when I-," she stopped and looked to Buffy.

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "When you what?" Kendra was silent and Buffy was getting mad. "What did you do?"

"I locked him up at a bar," Kendra said. "De sun, it will 'catch' him."

"Willy's," Buffy said horrified.

Willow watched as Buffy ran out of the library and Giles motioned for Kendra to go with her. "Maybe we should go too," Willow said to him.

Giles shook his head. "There are other matters of concern for us right now. Where is Xander?"

"Still following the Principal," Willow replied as she sat down at the main table. They decided it would be for the best to see if he was okay though the three teenagers vetoed the idea to begin with.

"Principal Snyder didn't come into school today then?" Giles asked.

Willow shook her head. "Xander's happier that way, no school and all."

"Jenny could help," Giles said as he started for the book cage.

"She's gone for a few days," Willow told him. "She had to go do something."

Giles stilled for a bit. "So you and me, right. I'll give you a note excusing you from classes; you can take it to the front desk. We'll need to research."

Willow wandered the halls of the school; kids were coming in and getting ready for the day. She was headed for the office with a few notes. The other two were for Buffy and Xander. Sometimes, even with her powers she felt like she didn't contribute much. She wasn't as bold or daring as Buffy; even Xander was more daring than her. She stopped when a body bumped into her, it was Oz.

"Hey, Willow," Oz said.

"Hey," Willow replied.

"You good?" he asked and she nodded. "I was wondering, you know, if maybe you wanted to go out again." He smiled. "A second date and all."

"Oh," Willow said quietly. "Um… when?"

"When it's good for you," Oz told her. "No hurry. Maybe this weekend?"

Willow nodded a little. "O-okay, I'll ask Jenny."

"Cool," he said.

"I- uh, I need to go to the- um, office," Willow said skirting around him she hurried away.

Oz watched her go as a friend came up. "Playing hard to get man?"

"That's cool," Oz told him.

Willow felt so stupid. She should have said no. "Why didn't you say no?" she asked herself quietly as she went through the office doors.

**oooooooooo**

**Midnight, That Night…**

"When all of this is over I'm thinking pineapple pizza and a Ringwald movie fest," Buffy said as they snuck along in the dark towards a church.

"Why pineapple?" Xander asked from where he was sneaking along behind her. "I hate pineapple."

"You eat it," Willow replied from where she was behind him.

"Only when the good pizza is gone," Xander told her. They were silent for a while. "Do we get to watch Sixteen Candles first?"

"Yes, fine, Sixteen Candles is great," Buffy said.

"Do dey always talk like dis?" Kendra asked from behind Willow.

"Yes, irritating isn't it?" Giles told her being the last in the row.

"Yes," Willy said from the very front of the line where Buffy had a tight hold on him. He was looking worse for wear at the moment with a big bruised eye and a bloody nose.

"Shut up," the others told him.

They went inside and rounded the corner to see the fake police woman who tried to kill Buffy at the school and a vampire waiting for them. "Here ya go," Willy told them. "Don't say Willy never did anything for ya." Bug guy and another vampire were behind them.

"You are toast Willy," Buffy said as she flung him into bug guy. Kendra headed for the police woman.

"Incendio!" Willow pointed to the vampire by Kendra and he burst into flames. Kendra got knocked back being surprised by this.

"Xander you and Giles on the bug man! Kendra stay on her!" Buffy told them. "Willow I need you!" She headed for the main room where Angel was apparently being kept. Willow followed her through the large double doors into the chapel of the church.

There at the front on the dais were Spike, Drusilla and Angel. Drusilla and Angel were bound upright together as Spike moved about them working the spell. There were other vampires in the room. Spike was swinging a censer about the two and repeating a few words as he set the censer down and picked up the cross Buffy had lost to a vampire a few days ago with a gloved hand and held it upside down.

"Come, restore your most impious, murderous child," Spike was saying.

"Murderous," Drusilla said in a dreamy state.

Angel looked awful, he was out of it, wounds all over his upper body he wouldn't be able to hold himself up if he could.

"Spike!" Buffy called out.

Spike motioned to the vampires but didn't stop as he pulled out a dagger and set the cross down. "Accio dagger!" Willow called out as she ducked one vampire's arms.

Spike wrestled with the dagger to keep it until it flew from his hands and sunk into the vampire trying to get Willow who got in its path. Spike ground out a snarl but pulled another from a bag he had brought.

Buffy was fighting three against one with the vampires as Willow cast another spell. "Reducto!" she said disintegrating one vampire as another finally got a hold of her picking her up she screamed out. "Buffy!" she called out. "Uh… rel- uh…" she couldn't think of a spell.

"Red witch is mine!" Drusilla warned the vampire that was about to bite Willow. The vampire stopped as Spike drove his dagger through Angel and Drusilla's hands. Angel screamed in agony as Buffy ran for him. Giles, Kendra and Xander hurried in shutting the doors and barring them. Kendra knocked the vampire holding Willow away.

"Diffindo!" Willow said getting one hand up she pointed at Angel and Drusilla. The bonds about them snapped apart, the two vampires fell to the ground as Buffy and Spike began to fight.

Kendra came up in a series of backflips and the two slayers met Spike head on. "Who the bloody hell is this?" Spike asked.

"Two slayers for the price of one, Spike," Buffy said. "No waiting!"

It was an all out brawl. Giles pulled Willow behind some shattered pews and protected her as best he could. "That bug guy isn't going away!" Xander said from the doors they had blocked.

Willow looked to see that mealworms were crawling their way under the door opening. "Reducio!" she said.

The mealworms became miniature sized. "Cool!" Xander said as he began to stomp on the bugs that came through. "Die! Die!" he said as he ground them into the floor.

Spike stumbles back into the pews as Buffy got a solid hit on him and Kendra kicked his legs out. "Spike?" Drusilla called out weakly.

Buffy headed for Angel and Drusilla as two vampires took on Kendra. Spike caught Buffy up before she could reach the two and hit her hard knocking her over the prone vampires giving him room to pick up Drusilla. "Time to go baby, I hope it was enough," he told her as he headed for the doors.

Buffy picked up the dagger Spike had used for the spell and threw it at him. It struck into his back and the two vampires headed straight into the old organ, the weight of the wood and metal collapsing on them. "I'm good!" Buffy said proudly as she went to see to Angel.

The other vampires were dusted and they came up to where Buffy and Angel were. Kendra saw the way Buffy and Angel looked at each other as Buffy held him up gently. She came over and Buffy looked her way, warning not to do something stupid.

"Let us get him out of here," Kendra told her. Buffy smiled at this and between the two they easily helped him up and out.

Xander wrapped his arm about Willow's shoulders. "I say a big Chicago style pizza and curly fries with the movie."

"You don't get curly fries at a pizza place," Willow told him.

"I want curly fries, I need curly fries after watching Snyder all day," he replied as they went outside.

"And the Principal? How is he?" Giles asked.

"Principaly," Xander told him. "You can't really tell if he's doing something weird or not, I chose on the side of it's all weird."

"You are all dis weird," Kendra told them.

"Even Buffy?" Xander asked.

"She is de weird of all," Kendra said. Willow and Xander clapped for Buffy.

"Thanks guys," Buffy said with a smile.

**oooooooooo**

**A few hours after the battle at the church…**

Everything was a wreck. The wood and metal moved to reveal a slim hand. Slowly Drusilla pulled herself out of the pile and looked about, her vampire face was on. She found Spike unconscious and the dagger still in his back.

"Naughty Slayer," Drusilla said pulling the blade out and smiling as she took a lick along the blade. "Don't worry, dearheart," Drusilla said pulling Spike out by one arm, she raised him up showing incredible strength. "I'll see that you get strong again, just like me." She carried him in her arms out of the church.

It didn't take her long to get home, she settled Spike on their bed and she looked to her rows of dolls and she smiled. "Yes, not too long my little ones," she told them. "We will have some fun, but mummy must go get her now before they find out that mummy is still alive."

**oooooooooo**

**Early Morning…**

Willow yawned as she curled up next to Buffy on the sofa. The Breakfast Club was coming to an end and Xander was sound asleep on the floor with two empty pizza boxes near him.

"So where did Jenny go?" Buffy asked quietly. Her mom was asleep upstairs and Kendra actually looked like she was asleep in the chair across the way. The new Slayer had never had pizza or watched a video before.

Willow shrugged. "Somewhere, she called yesterday. She'll probably call today too."

Buffy nodded at this. "Thanks for helping."

Willow smiled. "Angel's my friend too." Buffy smiled back. Willow looked to the clock and sat up. "We're going to be late for school if we don't get up soon." To reinforce that Joyce came down stairs dressed for the day.

"You know this is a rare one time thing, Buffy," Joyce said. Pizza and movies on a school night was unheard of, but with all three teenagers and the offer of pizza and a new friend. How could she say no?

"We're up," Buffy told her getting up and helping Willow in the process.

Joyce smiled as she headed into the kitchen. She got out cereal for four teenagers and made toast. Willow came in combing her hair back from her face. "Thanks for letting us stay Mrs. Summers," she told the adult.

Joyce nodded. "How are you and Jenny doing?" she asked.

Willow smiled. "Good, she's good."

Joyce took that as a glowing complement seeing it was a usual answer she got out of Buffy about things.

The others came in and sat down to eat. Joyce took Xander and Willow home promising to come and pick them up for school.

**oooooooooo**

**After noon …**

Buffy led Kendra out of Sunnydale High, Giles gave the new slayer a plane ticket home and Buffy donated a new shirt. "Tank you for de shirt," Kendra said. "It was very generous of you."

Buffy shrugged as she set her sunglasses on top of her head. "Hey, it looks better on… well, me, but no worries. Now, when you get to the airport…"

"I give dem me ticket," Kendra told her.

"And you sit in the seat and eat the peanuts and watch the movie," Buffy said. "Unless it's about a dog or Chevy Chase."

"I'll remember," Kendra said as they made their way to where a cab was waiting.

"I, um, I just wanted to thank you… for helping me save Angel," Buffy told her.

"Hmmm, am not tellin' me Watcher about dat," Kendra replied. "Is it too strange dat a Slayer loves a vampire."

"Tell me about it," Buffy said with a knowing grin.

"Still, he is pretty cute," Kendra admitted.

"Well, maybe they won't fire me for dating him," Buffy said.

"You always do dat," Kendra said confused. "You talk about slaying like it is a job. It's not. It's who you are."

Buffy blinked at this. "Did you get that from your handbook?"

Kendra smiled a little. "No, from you."

"I guess it's something I really can't fight," Buffy told her. "I'm a freak."

"Not de only freak," Kendra said.

Buffy smiled at that. "Not anymore." She reached out like she was going to hug her and Kendra backed away from her.

"I do not hug," Kendra told her.

"Right, bad with the hugs, hate hugs," Buffy said. She waved as Kendra got in the cab and it headed off for the airport. "Well, two things down, a million things left to go," she told herself as she headed back for the school. She stopped when she heard a sound off in the bushes away from the other students. Slowly she headed for it when the sound came again. It sounded like a hurt animal, a puppy or a kitten. Buffy came forward and looked around. "Kitty?" she called out quietly. "Here kitty."

Buffy looked over when she heard something move and she was struck across the back of the head with something hard and slumped to the ground. Ethan stood over her with a metal rod. "I honestly didn't think the wounded animal trick would work," he said. He picked her up and stayed concealed in the brush until he reached his car hidden by a sidewalk. Putting her in he got behind the wheel and drove away.

**oooooooooo**

**School is almost out…**

"So you mean this thing is in Principal Snyder?" Willow asked Giles. They had found information on Eyghon and they were studying about him at the library of course. Eyghon was the demon known as the sleepwalker; he would inhabit an unconscious body and then take it over. As a young man Giles and a few of his friends in England decided it would be fun to summon him to one of them and get a 'high' from them before returning him. One day it got out of control.

"And it's winning?" Xander asked not believing it.

Giles looked tired. His glasses were off and he was rubbing his forehead. Snyder had come to Giles's apartment last night and confronted him as Eyghon. "Has anyone seen Buffy?" he asked.

"She took Kendra to her cab," Willow looked to her watch. "A few hours ago."

"I'll go look for her," Xander told them gratefully standing up, he hated researching.

Giles headed into his office and Willow looked over the books Giles had shown her about Eyghon. She had the information there; she just had to figure out how to use it. She smiled as she closed the book and stood only to see words change magically in another book near her.

'_I have Buffy. Do not bring Rupert nor that annoying boy or your friend is dead. You know where to find me.'_

The words changed to normal as Giles came out of his office. Willow looked worried now, she was a bad liar. "Um, I have to go tell Xander something," she said skirting around the table towards the door.

"Of course," Giles replied. He watched her go then looked to the books.

Willow hurried down the hallways looking for Xander. Without Snyder there to put terror into the students everyone seemed a lot happier. "Xander!" she called out seeing the lanky boy headed the other way.

Xander turned with a smile. "You got out too?"

"I need you to do something for me," she told him. "Remember Halloween?"

**oooooooooo**

It was sunset by the time Willow made it to the costume shop. She crept into the empty store and saw a light in the back of the shop just like a few weeks ago.

'_Ethan, listen to me,'_ Buffy was saying. _'This is a bad idea. You're dealing with something very dangerous.'_

'_But it will get Eyghon off my scent,'_ he told her. It was silent for a moment_. 'Now relax. I'm finished with you. This is for me.'_

Willow moved quietly as she could along the aisle leading to the doorway. She peeked through the curtain to see Buffy was tied face down to a table and Ethan was bandaging up his arm.

"One more thing and then I'm afraid I'll have to run," Ethan said.

"Diffindo," Willow whispered and the rope tying Buffy down snapped free.

"You're friend is here, oh good," Ethan said looking to the curtain. Buffy got up ready to beat the snot out of him. "Show her, dear," Ethan said.

Willow came in slowly. "Get out of here Will," Buffy told her.

"She can't," Ethan said as a green glow shown in the shop windows. "He's come." He looked Willow's way. "You took longer than I expected. I had hoped to be away with you before this happened."

Principal Snyder crashed through a window looking more grotesque than normal. His body was hunched over and his eyes were red and he was getting horns and a bit scaly. "Ew," Buffy said backing up defensively.

Snyder/Eyghon walked towards Ethan. "It's your time," he told him. Ethan looked petrified as the demon sniffed the air and then looked towards Buffy and began to track her.

"What did you do?" Willow demanded of Ethan.

"None of your concern," Ethan said grabbing her. "It's time to go."

Willow struggled in his grip as Buffy and Snyder/Eyghon faced off, Buffy keeping the table she had been bound to between them. "That's no way to speak to my childe," Drusilla said holding Ethan's neck in one hand and Willow's in another.

Willow raised her hand and Drusilla threw her into the wall knocking her out. "Sleepy time now, no bad spells for mummy," she told the unconscious girl. Eyghon looked her way and Drusilla smiled. "I care nothing for the Slayer nor this one," she said shaking Ethan a little and from the look on his face it was painful.

Angel slammed in through the back door. "Daddy!" Drusilla said with a smile. "Have you come to play?"

"Enough!" Eyghon said. "I am here to take what's mine."

"No!" Angel replied as he blocked the demon grabbing Eyghon by the neck and began to choke him.

"You're killing him!" Buffy said about the Principal whose body it still was.

"Trust me," Angel told him. Buffy looked to Drusilla who smiled.

"Buffy, help me," Ethan begged from Drusilla's grasp.

"Help me," Drusilla mimicked him as Buffy stepped her way. "Ahh, ahh," Drusilla warned her squeezing Ethan's neck hard. "I don't want him, I want my witch."

Buffy purposefully moved to stand between her and Willow. "Over my dead body."

"Promises naughty girl," Drusilla said with a smile. She snapped Ethan's neck killing him instantly. She dropped him to the floor and strode forward. "One down," she said vamping out. "One to go."

"Drusilla, catch!" Angel yelled as he threw Snyder/Eyghon her way.

Drusilla snarled at him as she caught the little man easily. "What is this?" she asked as something seemed to hit her physically. Angel and Buffy pulled Willow away from all of this as Drusilla screamed. Lights pulsating and her head contorting as Eyghon tried to live inside a dead body. Drusilla screamed again as the spirit of Eyghon was thrown out and without a host it crumbled to ashes.

Giles and Xander came in a moment later both looking scared. "Willow!" Xander called out as he went over to the group.

Drusilla hissed at them all and ran out. "She's not going to be happy," Angel told Buffy.

Buffy looked to Willow. "That's a nasty bruise," she told them as Giles came over.

"We should get her to hospital," he said. "It could be serious."

"Snyder too?" Xander asked.

"Both, yes," Giles said as he looked to Willow then the others. "How did you get here?"

"Kidnapped," Buffy told him.

"Willow," Xander replied and Angel nodded. "She figured it out. Eyghon can't live in a dead body."

"Ethan?" Buffy asked.

Giles looked to his former friend who was lifeless on the ground. "Gone I'm afraid," he said going over and feeling for a pulse as Buffy found Willow's cell phone and called for an ambulance. Giles took out Ethan's wallet; he looked through it to find a business card in there.

_Wolfram & Hart_

_Lilah Morgan_

_Attorney at Law_

_Special Projects Division_

Giles put the wallet into his own pocket and went to help out.

**oooooooooo**

Jenny climbed out of her car in front of the disgusting rent by the month hotel again. There were more people here than the last time and a few of the men were checking her out. She glared their way and went inside to the lobby, if you could call it that.

Up at the front counter it was a mess, the window separating the lobby from the office was cracked but the symbol… curse symbol was still there. Behind the glass at the desk was Eddy, everyone's favorite motel manager.

"Eddy," she said, "you're a hard man to find." He looked her way and got up. She smiled a little at his appearance. His eyebrows were gone and a few of his fingers were wrapped in bandages. It didn't look like he had slept in a good six months.

"I was in the goddamn hospital! Take that goddamn curse off," Eddy said. Jenny raised an eyebrow at him and looked to his own that were missing. He scowled at that. "Please," he growled out.

"Tell me what I want to know first," she said.

"He ain't here, saw your calling card that's been losing me business with any respectable people, I got Goths and fuc-."

"Eddy," she said cutting him off. "Where is he?"

"I followed him, he's at some apartments a couple of miles from here," he said sullenly. He took a dirty piece of folded up paper from his shirt pocket and slid it across the way.

Jenny took it and looked to the address on it. "What are gypsies Eddy?" she asked. He glared at her. "What are they?"

"No one to be fu-," he stopped when she glared, "messed with," he finished.

Jenny took out her talisman and touched it to the glass and the curse was gone. "Thank you Eddy," she said and left the motel. She heard a crash of glass but didn't look back to see what it was as she ran to her car.

It didn't take long as she pulled up and looked to the apartment complex. It was low rent as were all of them along this strip of land. Her face set she got out of the car and popped her trunk, taking a bag with her she headed for the complex.

She knocked on a door and waited. No one came. She knocked again. "Jaz znanje vi ste torej!" she called out in Romanian. It didn't take long before the door opened showing a tall aging man, homely, yet there was strength in him. "Uncle Enyos," she said surprised to see him.

"Janna," he said with a Slavic accent motioning her to come in.

Jenny went in and sat down on a small couch looking stunned. "Uncle, what are you doing here?"

"My duty, as are you," he said sitting down across from her.

She shook her head as she stood up. "You're the one, the one to keep Angel suffering."

Enyos nodded. "As it should be vith you Janna. You are Kalderash, not this Jenny Calendar." She shook her head again and he made an unhappy noise. "I know, you do not like this- this vengeance. But it is what we are, Janna. To men of the modern vorld is an idea such as payback. For the Kalderash, it is a living thing."

"I want none of it!" Jenny said looking to him. "That's why I left!"

"You live in the modern vorld, Janna. But you are not a modern voman, you are a gypsy," Enyos replied.

"I came back to the clan to help Willow," Jenny told him.

"Villow, yes, yes," Enyos said with a smile. "She is all the Elders say, yes?"

"Yes," Jenny sighed as she sat back down. "But she's not a tool, uncle. She's a young woman with feelings and dreams."

He nodded. "I remember you saying this to your mama and papa about yourself vhen you vere young. You could have been a great voman in our clan."

"I never had that kind of power, uncle," Jenny told him. "I barely can handle Willow's powers now and she's only fifteen!"

"But it is vorking, she is vith you so you train her," Enyos replied.

Jenny looked to him. "You did it, didn't you?" She pulled the bag out and dumped the rocks she had saved from the Rosenberg's front yard, the one's marks with symbols and placed in a pattern on his floor. "You cursed her parents away from her!"

"I did no such thing," Enyos replied. "She is not of their blood; she is a vitch and a powerful one at this. You know that, it is vhy you came, Janna. She vill change the darkness, the Elder voman has seen it."

"You took her parents from her so I would have guardianship over her?" Jenny said. "Do you know how insane that is? I'm not her mother!" She cradled her head in her hands. "Always, the elders always interfere and destroy."

"No, ve are not vizards, ve do not control," Enyos started.

Jenny glared at him. "Then why are her parents gone? Are they dead? Did the elders lure them back to the clan and kill them? You don't call that controlling?"

He glared back and stood. "You do not talk to me this vay, Janna! It had to be done. Just as Angelus's suffering continues."

Jenny looked to him. "What did you do?"

He shrugged. "The curse. He is meant to suffer. Vhen he experiences one true moment of happiness. Then the thoughts of the soul that torment him are gone."

Jenny looked horrified. "And Angelus returns."

Enyos nodded that she understood. "And I vill stop him from ever feeling that pleasure."

"Buffy loves him," Jenny replied.

"That is none of your concern. Villow is yours," he said.

"Why did you do this- this curse on her family?" she asked. "I could have trained her while she was still with her parents."

"You are too kind, she is for the forces of light as is the Slayer, yet her Vatcher is not firm vith her either," Enyos told her. "Vith Villow's parents in the vay it vould slow your training down. To bring her under your vill until she vas made to understand her importance here."

Jenny swallowed. She hadn't told Willow the truth, how do you tell a child that gypsies have taken over her life all for the sake of prophecy? Jenny had to experience it herself when she was young, but she knew, she knew and bucked the system and ran away from the clan. "They didn't trust me," she got out.

"No, they did not," Enyos told her simply. "But it is too late now, you are her mother."

"I'm no one's mother, uncle!" Jenny replied.

He watched her and she looked away from him. "But you feel this, yes? A mother's love for her, just as you feel love for the Slayer's vatcher vhen you should be teaching her." They were silent again, Jenny had been teaching Willow but not at the speed the clan wished. Enyos sighed. "Angelus is becoming happy; the elders have seen the signs."

"They work well together, uncle," Jenny said. "Angel… he's saved Buffy's life and Willow's."

"Villow should be in her training vhere she can defend herself," Enyos told her. "Ve do not serve justice, Janna. It is vengeance. Fairness has no part in Villow's life or she vill not be ready to take her place. And there shall be none for Angelus."

Jenny stood up. "You're a fool. We're all fools. You tell the elders that Willow is mine now and to back off. I'll train her as best I can without making her just a tool as you want her to be."

"Janna-," Enyos started.

"As for Angel-us… I'll stop you. I don't want him back, but I won't let you destroy Buffy in the process," she said.

"For that, it may be too late," Enyos told her. "A new Slayer has come to town; I have shown her Angelus's path."

Jenny looked at him in disbelief and left the apartment.

**oooooooooo**

**Early evening…**

There was a small flash of light as Cordelia found herself back where she had left. The second level of the school. Only no one was there. Cordelia had a nasty bite mark on her neck, her clothes were bland looking and she was scared.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Cordelia whispered as she hurried towards the doors to the school only to realize it was a public building. She hurried down the steps carefully looking around then she hurried to where her car was. There were three warnings from the school police of keeping her car on the lot overnight. "No vampires," she whispered. "Don't let there be any vampires." She started her car and squealed out of the parking lot for home.

It was only moments after Cordelia had returned that across the town from the school lights flashed and the wind blew as something appeared where it shouldn't have been. It was Willow in a black leather outfit that showed off all her assets. Her hair was straight and parted and her make up was kinky and sleek. She looked around as she sat up. Quietly she moved outside and looked around as she wandered the street seeing everyone happy.

"This is weird," she said in a dark voice.

**oooooooooo**

**Hogwarts…**

"Banned?" Angelina said in a hollow voice in the Gryffindor common room. "No seeker, no beaters… What are we going to do?" she asked.

Harry looked to the snow falling out of the window. They had won the match but Umbridge had done it, banned him and the Weasley twins from ever playing Quidditch again for fighting with the Slytherin team.

Even Professor McGonagall was stunned at this. She was going to give them detention but Umbridge had just come on in with another 'decree' from Fudge. Harry clenched his fists as he stood up.

"What are you doing Harry?" Hermione asked. She and Ginny had been sitting on either side of him during this trying to be some kind of comfort.

"I need to go for a walk," Harry told her.

"Do you wan-," she started.

"NO! No thanks," he told her knowing she was just trying to help, but he didn't want to be around anyone. He made it out through the portrait hole to see Ron headed back completely soaked and shivering. He was depressed over his first game as keeper. Honestly, Harry didn't want to comfort anyone. Hermione and Ginny could do it.

He walked along the hallways, it was night and no one was supposed to be up. He was sure that Malfoy and the Slytherins were laughing it up down in their dungeon common room. It wasn't long before he found himself in front of a familiar statue, the gargoyle that held the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

Harry stood there, he didn't know how long for but his anger built up. "Acid pops," he said trying to key the password. It didn't open. "Lemon drops… chocolate frogs…" Harry looked to the way in. "canary creams… licorice wands!" his voice built up. "Open the door!" he yelled at the gargoyle. "If you don't I'll leave and never come back to this horrid school!" he gave his ultimatum.

The gargoyle swung aside and the entrance parted and the stairs formed. Harry hurried up the steps and the door to the Headmaster's office opened. Inside was Dumbledore. "Harry," he said quietly. Fawkes slept on his perch and the portraits were curious as to this.

"Professor," Harry said as tears welled up in his eyes. "Don't you know what goes on? Don't you care?"

Dumbledore raised a finger and looked to the portraits. "Leave us please." Most of them grumbled as they left and Dumbledore brandished his wand and cast a silent spell for privacy. "I do know," Dumbledore told him as he offered Harry a seat but Harry was too upset to sit.

"They banished me from quidditch!" Harry said.

"Quidditch isn't the end of the world, Harry," Dumbledore replied.

"It is for me, it was all I had left," Harry said looking to the person he always thought of as his idol, his mentor. "For months Umbridge has done awful things."

"She's the High Inquisitor, to go up against the Ministry, it would be a bad decision at this time," Dumbledore told him.

"It's a farce!" Harry complained to him. "All Fudge wants is for none of us to learn a thing."

Dumbledore smiled a little as he sat at his own desk. "So I can't obtain something such as my own army?" Harry's jaw twitched. "I do hear things, my boy." He smiled. "I'm proud of you; you're not letting the ministry dictate your life to you."

"But you are, you're letting them," Harry replied.

"When you achieve great power you are more hindered than free," Dumbledore told him. Harry frowned at that. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave here, Harry?"

Harry looked away to Fawkes then back. "I want to find my sister," he said quietly.

Dumbledore's great white eyebrows went up. "Your sister?"

"I know of her, I found a picture of us when we were infants, babies…" he stopped as tears came again and he dashed them away. "My mum and dad holding us. I want to go find Willow."

Dumbledore's eyes closed. "Where Harry? Where did you find out about this?"

"Headquarters," Harry replied. "Sirius told me about her, about what had happened and to keep it to myself." He shook his head. "Tonight was the last, Headmaster. I want to leave Hogwarts and go help Remus find Willow."

Dumbledore sighed a deep heavy sigh. "I wish you could, my boy. What I wouldn't give for you and your sister to reunite. But the Ministry watches you as it does me. If you leave they will want to know why. They may even detain you," he told the boy.

"For what? Telling the truth? Fighting Voldemort when the entire Ministry turns the other way?" Harry demanded, he was getting angry again.

"Getting angry is a good thing Harry," Dumbledore said. "But channel it in a way that will help you. Umbridge is just waiting for an excuse to lock you up in a Ministry cell."

Harry shook his head. "This is all crazy, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded as he came around and touched Harry's head. "I know, one day hopefully you and your sister will be together again. But it's too dangerous to know of her, not with the Ministry about. Knowing about her could destroy all we've worked for."

Harry looked up to Dumbledore as he felt the touch of a wand to his forehead. "No!" he cried out.

"Oblivate," Dumbledore said softly and Harry blinked a few times. He was halfway out of his chair and Dumbledore's hand was touching his shoulder.

"Professor?" he asked. "What am I doing here?"

Dumbledore smiled to him. "It's okay Harry. Everything will be okay."

**oooooooooo**

**Translations:**

Son of dark, God of night…

shield

I call my blood, the blood of the old. Release her, this child of light, release the dark back to where it came. Be gone.

I know you're there

**To Be Continued…**


	19. Chapter 19

**That same Night…**

There were noises, smells of joy and hamburgers, laughter in the air, the scent of fresh blood, life was on the streets of Sunnydale at midnight. _Willow_ the vampiress opened her eyes. She didn't like this world.

Even now as a young teenager she was an elegant creature with flaming red hair and blood red lips with skin tight black leather and blood red cloth surrounding her, _Willow_ was a thing of sanguinary beauty as she walked down a main street past the Sun Cinema Theaters.

She pouted as she watched humans come out dressed in eye catching clothes of color, none of them were afraid, especially not of her. She remembered her first bloodletting there, so many humans in one place… she smiled at her memory of torturing beautiful girls and nasty little boys. Their screams of horror and pain, their cries of begging that made her laugh and want to hurt them more. Willow blinked when she heard a scream and saw it was a young woman a few years older than her being teased by a young man, most likely a boyfriend and _Willow's_ scowl returned.

"This is no fun," _Willow_ muttered as she continued on.

"E-excuse me, young lady," an old woman said coming up to her.

_Willow_ turned and her eyes went black as she growled at her. The old woman backed away from her, but it wasn't the terror that she was used to. _Willow_, right hand of the Master was someone to be feared, and this woman did not. "Vereor mihi," _Willow_ whispered and a waft of dark magic circled around the woman. The old woman began to tremble then she screamed and ran down the street from the red head. _Willow_ laughed with delight at this as others in the crowd looked her way and she smiled.

She looked to a young woman that caught her eye. "Diligo mihi," she said as her hair began to turn black as the mists of dark magic began to swell around _Willow_. The girl left the young man she was with and came over and knelt in front of her. _Willow_ stroked the girl's blond hair as she looked to the man who was easily double her size and half a foot taller. Her eyes challenged him and he came her way looking mad. She chuckled evilly at that. "Servo mihi," she told him and the dark magic enveloped him again and he knelt by her too. "Let's see who's alive in this world, shall we?" she asked her magical slaves.

Her hair returned to red, her eyes went hazel once again as she headed down the street with a purpose and two underlings following behind her. The people around them who watched this wondered what was going on. Rumors of a drug gang went around Sunnydale… again.

**oooooooooo**

It was late when Jenny returned home. She had been cursing herself for the past half an hour that she hadn't recharged her cell phone batteries, she couldn't get in touch with Willow or Rupert. She found the house was dark when she pulled up into the driveway, looking to her dashboard clock it was almost one in the morning. Jenny had spent a few hours at a bar getting a drink, she was going to have to tell Willow, Rupert and Buffy who she was and why she and her Uncle Enyos were in Sunnydale. The last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt Willow. She genuinely cared for the teenager. Hopefully they could work something out.

Jenny went inside, it was quiet so she made her way to Willow's bedroom to see if she was there. She was almost there when a knock came to the door. "Who the hell is here at this time of night?" she asked herself as she went to answer the door. She looked out the window to see Willow standing there… in black leather.

Jenny rolled her eyes as she opened the door. "Willow, you don't need to let Buffy dress you up, you can say no," she told the teen. Jenny blinked at this. "Did you do something… because you look youn-."

"Quiet now," _Willow_ told her with a snarky looking smile. "Are you going to let me in Ms. Calendar?" Jenny looked confused at that, Willow hadn't called her Ms. Calendar in a long time. _Willow_ stepped up to the doorway but not inside. "Invite me in," _Willow_ told her. Jenny shielded her eyes as a ward on the doorframe lit up and _Willow_ screamed in pain. "Get her!" she told someone.

Jenny slammed the door shut and locked it as two teenagers, a boy and a girl scrambled to open the door. Jenny let out a yelp as a window by the door was broken and the boy appeared there with a look of intent on his face to finish smashing the window in. Jenny grabbed for her talisman. "ščit to parlament, vsi kdo zadrževati se maj nastopiti, vsiljivec obstati ne odnehati zaliv!" she called out.

Jenny collapsed to the floor gasping for breath as magic surrounded the house. The boy was pushed back from the window. Jenny watched _Willow's_ face peer through the window and the wards lit up but _Willow_ was ready for them.

"Magic is so hard for you isn't it?" she said mockingly. "Am I a good little girl in this world too?"

Jenny tried not to throw up as she crawled for the phone. _Willow_ laughed. "Accio phone lines," she called out. Jenny made it to the phone and picked it up to find it was dead.

"What do you want?" Jenny asked resting against the wall to see _Willow_ was back once again, the powerful ward held _Willow_ from touching anything.

"Your head on a pole would be nice," _Willow_ replied then took on a disinterested look. "Bored now." She looked to the boy. "If she leaves… kill her."

Jenny saw her grab the girl by the neck and head off down the walkway. The boy stood there watching her like a zombie, it was creepy. It wasn't long before Jenny realized she could plug in her cell phone when the power went out leaving her in the dark. The house across the street was dark too. _Willow_ had pulled the power lines. "This world…," Jenny said as she almost cried in relief. It wasn't her Willow, this one was from somewhere else. How was she going to get to her Willow or let the others know?

**oooooooooo**

"Pretty, pretty," Drusilla said as she swirled around in her and Spike's lair looking up at the stars and the darkness of night.

Spike was watching his lover from a wheelchair. Damage to his legs and spine had been permanent. He was not a happy vampire. "What's so bloody pretty?" he asked tersely.

Drusilla looked his way. "The stars sing to me, luv," she told him. "Tell me of one that doesn't belong."

"Yeah, it's that bitch red head!" Spike told her. "Lost my good jacket over her, now me bloody legs!"

Drusilla came over and sat on his lap and cuddled into him. "No need to shout, my prince," she told him with a smile. "Your princess will get you all you desire until you can do for yourself." Spike looked away, he felt like an idiot stuck there. "Maybe my witch can heal you," Drusilla said curiously watching to see Spike's reaction.

Spike's eyebrow rose up then he looked to her. "Yeah?"

Drusilla smiled. "We shall see," Drusilla said snapping at his nose with her teeth and he smiled back and they kissed.

**oooooooooo**

**The Next Morning…**

Jenny woke up with a start, she took in a breath and looked around as sunlight came in through the windows. She almost didn't believe what had happened save for the broken glass on the carpet by the front door.

She had stayed awake as long as she could going from room to room trying to find a way out only to have the boy come into view a moment later. It was only so long before exhaustion took over and she had slept.

Looking out through the windows she couldn't see the boy anywhere. Grabbing her jacket and her keys she went to the front door and looked out, he wasn't there. Opening the door a crack she went out and still no young man waiting. Jenny ran down across the lawn for her car. She had her keys ready when the boy stepped out with a two by four piece of wood. Jenny dodged the swing with his piece of wood she flung her jacket at him to distract him as she ran down the driveway and along the streets, she could feel him following close behind. Jenny crossed a street and turned a corner.

"Hey, what are you doing?" a man out in his front yard called out.

"Call the police!" Jenny yelled to him. The boy caught up and with a 'crack' he hit her in the head and Jenny went down. The boy raised the wood up again.

"Stop!" the man said. The boy looked over to see him headed their way with a phone in hand. A few more came out from their homes at the noise. "Get away from her!"

The boy struck Jenny once more before a few people could tackle him. They struggled for a moment as more people came. Apparently 911 had been called. Two more men struggled with him until they had him held down. Sirens were heard in the distance. Jenny was unconscious with blood running from a wound on her head.

**oooooooooo**

Willow sat outside of the school looking thoughtful. Not a good kind of thoughtful, more of a 'what in the hell am I doing here' thoughtful.

"Will?" Buffy asked sitting next to her. "Whatcha thinkin'?"

"That I'm a putz and a moron," Willow replied looking her way. She still had a bruise on her forehead from last night but it had turned out to be superficial, she just bumped her head hard. Which had been a good thing considering the pain she felt there. And since Jenny wasn't home she spent the night at Buffy's.

"You are not," Buffy replied.

"Not what?" Xander asked sitting on the other side of Willow.

"A putz and a moron," Willow said taking a banana out of her backpack. "I am. I'm going to eat this now and I don't even care what time it is." She pulled with all her might but it wasn't opening for her.

"I would call you Old Reliable," Xander said with a smile at his joke and Willow frowned as Buffy took the banana away from her and peeled it only to hand it back.

"Thanks," Willow said unhappily to both of them as she took a bite.

"What?" Xander asked as Buffy gave him a look to shut up. "It's like the geyser, that's cool, right?"

"That's Old Faithful," Willow replied more unhappy.

Xander looked confused. "Isn't that the old dog the guy had to shoot…" he stopped when Buffy smacked the back of his head behind Willow.

"That's Old Yeller," Willow told them.

"You have cut class," Buffy said trying to console her.

"Only when it was necessary!" Willow replied. "N-never just to go do something."

"I have offered," Xander said and Buffy reached up to smack him again and he stopped. "Ow," he complained softly.

"What brought all of this on, Will?" Buffy asked.

Willow looked down. "Principal Snyder," she said.

"He's back already? The guy died," Buffy replied. Apparently Angel knew how to strangle people without absolutely killing them… if that was possible. Snyder was dead for a short while before the Paramedics found him then he was breathing and capable of talking last night, they weren't sure how he came back to life. He didn't remember a thing that happened only to blame it all on Buffy.

"Which is sorrow within itself," Xander added.

"He's making me do Percy West's homework so he can play sports," Willow admitted to them. "Am I that big of a pushover?"

Xander and Buffy looked to each other, Will could be sometimes. "Why didn't you just say no?" Xander asked.

"You don't say no, you get into trouble," Willow replied as she stood up, her banana half eaten. "Maybe I don't want to be reliable, or some person's doormat, homework gal." She threw her banana away and walked off. Buffy got up to follow her but Willow stopped. "I can't walk off to be alone if you follow me," Willow told her.

"Right, sorry," Buffy said sitting back down. They watched Willow leave.

"Maybe now's not the best time to ask if she recorded Biography last night," Xander said taking out a candy bar from his pocket.

Cordelia came walking up quickly towards the school. Her clothes weren't as flashy and she had a light scarf tied around her neck. She glanced at the two of them and put her hand to her neck hurrying faster. "Nice as it is that she's not being mean, doesn't her attitude strike you as odd?" Buffy asked.

Xander shrugged. "Maybe it's that time…" he said. Buffy looked his way. "You know, 'that time'?"

"Xander whatever macho trip you're on, you need to get off," Buffy said leaving him to go inside the school.

It took her a little while to spot her but Buffy saw Cordelia head into the girls bathroom. She went through the door and waited for a couple of girls to leave and the two were alone.

Cordelia was at the sinks and the two looked to each other in the mirror for a long moment. "Stare much?" Cordelia asked but the barb that usually stung wasn't there.

Buffy came further into the bathroom. "What's up?" she asked.

Cordelia turned to look at her. "Like you care."

Buffy shrugged as she leaned back against another sink still watching her. "Sometimes… I do."

Cordelia turned down the scarf and there were two large vampire bites on either side of her neck and Buffy stood up at that. Cordelia covered them up before Buffy could say anything.

"Who did that?" Buffy asked.

Cordelia let out a short, high pitched laugh. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she replied heading for the door.

Buffy caught her arm. "What's going on Cordelia?" she asked.

Cordelia stilled for a moment then looked her way then her eyes changed to one of actual thought. "I- I know I don't say this, but I'm glad you're in Sunnydale," she told her.

Buffy looked surprised at this and Cordelia removed her arm and left. "O-kay," Buffy said out loud. "What was that about?"

**oooooooooo**

**Night Time…**

The Bronze was alive with activity with a heavy beat of music playing from the stage. _Willow_ wandered in alone having had a nice night with the girl she had found, the police would find her in a few days brutally killed and completely devoid of blood.

Like a shark in a school of blind fish she made her way silently watching the humans. The Bronze in her world was the court of the Master, the only humans there were slaves, and you didn't want to be a slave in a vampire lair. She had gone last night to see where the Master would have been imprisoned only to find he was dead… the Slayer had killed him over six months ago.

Slayer, _Willow's_ lip curled up in disgust. The one who had ruined the Master's plans in her world. She circled a few human girls. They were very pretty and their hair perfect, which meant they were totally without an original thought… very boring but easy prey.

She left them to slink gracefully toward a girl that was by herself and looking like she wished she fit in. She would be worthy to adorn her collection of dead play things. Her sire preferred dolls, _Willow_ liked the real thing… until they began to smell and decay. Then she left them as presents. That was always good for a laugh.

"Hey," a smirky male voice said, a body was suddenly in front of her a young male around her age that she didn't know. "I thought you were doing my homework, Rosenberg. I flunk that class and you're in big trouble with Snyder." He sneered now. "Until I graduate, I own your ass."

_Willow_ raised an eyebrow and looked absolutely tired. "Bored now," she said shoving him away from her, the strength behind her hand threw him onto a pool table and he rolled off of to the other side.

"Whoa!" one guy nearby said and she looked his way, her eyes were scary. "Whoa, man!" he said backing up.

"What's going on?" another one said as Percy got up.

_Willow_ watched him un-amused as he came back angry. "I'm having a terrible night," she told him then smiled as she grabbed him around the neck and lifted him up off his feet making him choke. "Wanna make it better?"

Percy was shocked as he grabbed at her hand and tried to swing at her so he could get a breath but she was too strong. He grabbed her neck but she laughed at him and he got scared. A few of the guys around them thought it was a joke.

"Hey, check it out!" one guy was saying.

Xander came up to the group. "What's going on? What's the funny?"

The guy pointed and Xander saw Percy struggling to breath while _Willow_ smiled, both of them holding each other around the neck. "Hey!" Xander said pulled Percy off of _Willow_. "You stay the hell away from her!" he warned Percy who was coughing in a lungful of air.

"Whatever man, you keep her the hell away from me!" Percy said holding his neck, now scared of the red head as he got away from her leaving the Bronze.

Xander turned with a smile to _Willow_. She was watching him, part with a smile and the other with trepidation, Xander had died in her world. "Xander," she said with a wicked smile. "Are you my Xander?"

Xander looked confused at that. "Of course I am," he said looking at her outfit. "You changing your look is… um."

_Willow_ looked to her outfit then to him with a pout. "You helped me pick it out."

Xander's eyes went wide at that. "Sure…" he replied very confused as she slid up to him and kissed him fully as her hands touched him. He pulled away holding his mouth like he had just been burned, she had French kissed him. "What the hell was that?"

_Willow_ frowned, his body was warm. "You're alive," she whispered.

"Uh yeah," Xander replied as Buffy came up to them.

"Who's your friend?" Buffy asked then looked to Willow completely. "Holy _god_ you're Willow."

_Willow_ looked very angry as she backed away from them. "Slayer," she said lividly.

"She's knows that," Xander said. "What's wrong with you?"

"Intereo," _Willow_ whispered at Buffy. Dark magic swirled about Buffy and she gasped a bit sinking to her knees. Buffy swallowed and looked up to _Willow_ who looked surprised that Buffy was still alive.

Xander grabbed _Willow's_ shoulders. "What are you doing, Will?" Xander said shaking her a little and the magic left Buffy.

_Willow_ hit him and he landed on Buffy. "Don't touch, human," _Willow_ said as her face changed to a vampire. "Never touch." She looked to the humans watching her and she frowned. "I HATE this world!" she yelled and ran out of the Bronze, no one got in her way.

"Oh my god," Buffy said. Xander was completely stunned. Willow was a vampire.

**oooooooooo**

_Willow_ strode along down an alleyway angry at Xander who was still alive, and the Slayer who had destroyed all that she knew, and they were friends! She looked to her hands, she had always been able to do magic, it had rarely failed her but that spell it should have killed the Slayer and yet it didn't. _Willow_ listened to three vampires follow behind her, they were big males, which meant they wanted something, probably a morsel to eat and she looking so young and innocent.

When they were close enough she turned. "Petrificus totalus," she said stopping one dead in it's tracks it fell over. "Goody, something works," she said bluntly. She looked to the two vampires left. "I know you," she said to one. "You work for the Mayor."

The two looked to each other. "Yeah," the one she talked to replied. "How do you know that?"

_Willow_ chuckled. "There are lots of things I know. I want to see him, your Master."

"And if we don't?" he asked.

"Exuro," _Willow_ said pointing to the other vampire and flames started to lick his clothing.

The vampire ran around trying to put himself out only to have the fire win and he eventually exploded into ash. The remaining vampire nodded and _Willow_ followed him.

_Willow_ looked to City Hall. There were a few lights on but like most government facilities it was closed. The vampire went through a back entrance and he led her down to the largest office there. It even said 'Mayor' on the door. The vampire knocked.

"Enter," a cheerful voice said from the other side.

The vampire opened the doors and _Willow_ went in and there he was Mayor Wilkins. Willow took in a deep breath enjoying the evilness that hung there like a pallor. She could feel it, the dark energy the mayor used. The Mayor looked to the other vampire who shrugged. "What can I do for you little lady?" the mayor asked with a friendly smile.

"We have a problem, Mayor," _Willow_ said sitting in a chair across the way like she owned the place.

"Really? What problem would that be?" he asked still just as friendly.

"I'm new in town," _Willow_ told him. "And I find that it's ripe for the taking. No one to get in my way… except you."

The Mayor's face became a little angry then the friendly smile was there once again. "I don't really care for young ladies that wander in and threaten me, I am the Mayor after all," he told her.

_Willow_ laughed. "You're more than the mayor… Mayor," she said with a smile. "You're a demon, just like me. You're going to gobble up all the little humans in a year or so when the time is right, and well… I say the humans are mine."

"Excuse me?" Mayor Wilkins said. "Yours?"

_Willow_ nodded. "Like cattle and Sunnydale is my ranch. Without them how will I survive? How will I inflict terror and chaos if your own purposes are to be met first?"

Mayor Wilkins stood up looking mad now as he leaned his hands on his desk and glared at her, she didn't look scared. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said as a few vampires and a couple of demons came into the room and the doors were shut. "But I don't like the rumors you're about the spread about me."

_Willow_ glanced to the others. "You could have the old ones, like thirty and up. I don't care for dirty blood."

"I'm afraid whatever plans you have are going to change," the Mayor said.

"My Master and you had an agreement in my world," _Willow_ told him. "Keep the humans at bay and allow enough to live so you could ascend to your true form." She watched him completely unafraid. "My mummy saw differently. All my kind died, and the humans were consumed leaving us nothing… those of us who survived."

"You're from another world?" the mayor asked curiously as he sat down again.

"I believe so, this definitely isn't mine," _Willow_ replied.

"Why shouldn't I kill you now?" he asked. "You're alone."

"True," _Willow_ said with a look of sorrow on her face. "But at the moment, I'm much more powerful than you."

He looked curious. "Let's see." He motioned and two vampires rushed her.

"Excorio," she said and the dark magic filled the room. One vampire screamed as he looked to his body, strips of flesh began to rip away and the other one watched as the vampire was reduced to bone and muscle collapsing to the floor. "This is the fun part," _Willow_ said to the Mayor, she hadn't watched but the Mayor had. "Vampires don't die unless they're staked through the heart… back home mummy gave me a nice bullwhip and Puppy begged a lot to keep what skin he had left."

The Mayor looked her way as the flayed vampire was in agony. "You are the most evil vampire I have yet to meet," he told her.

"That's because I have one mission in life," _Willow_ replied. "To do whatever I want, to whomever I want."

"So you were a witch when you were human, you cast dark arts," the Mayor said as two vampires dragged the flayed vampire out of the room.

"Save him for me," _Willow_ told them. "Flaying is my favorite spell." She looked to the Mayor. "I don't just cast them, I am them." She yawned. "Much fun, but I want and you will give."

The Mayor nodded and stood up. "Then we'll sign a contract so that all parties are happy."

He went to a cabinet and opened it. Inside were all things evil, shrunken heads, blood daggers, etc. He picked up one made from wood, it was old and very powerful and would take care of the young vampire. He smiled to himself only to gasp in shock as he looked down to see blood seep through his shirt. _Willow _looked over his shoulder at what he held. "See now, you didn't play nice, mummy always said you didn't. Never trust a demon that's not of your own blood, she use to tell me," she said to him.

The Mayor turned slightly to see _Willow_ back away with a greenish black heart still pulsing in her hand. He looked to her as he gasped. "No," he got out.

_Willow_ smiled. "I may not be in my world, but I will make it mine." She gave the heart a squeeze and a black ichor spurted out and the Mayor collapsed to the ground and died.

_Willow_ dropped the heart on the Mayor's desk and looked to the underlings in the room. "Who do you work for?" she asked them. They all knelt to her and she smiled. "Good."

**oooooooooo**

"This isn't real," Xander said after taking in a breath from where he sat by Buffy and Giles on the stairs in the library.

Buffy nodded. "I can't feel anything… arms, legs, anything."

Giles was in shock with the other two, his glasses dangling from his hand. "She was truly the finest of all of us."

"Way better than me," Xander said.

"Much, much better," Giles replied.

"It's all my fault," Xander told them.

Buffy shook her head. "No, it's me. She was depressed and I didn't help. She must of gone out and gotten attacked and now my best friend is…"

Willow walked into the library to see her friends looking like they lost their best friend. "What's going on?" she asked. The three looked up at her shocked to see her there. Xander lifted a cross in his hands. "Who died?" she asked then her look becomes one of horror. "Oh God! Who died? Jenny?"

Xander jumped up and pushing the cross at Willow's face. "Back! Get back, demon!"

Willow looked to the cross then him then over to Buffy with a 'what's going on' look. Xander shook the cross as if it were broken and held it back up to her.

"Willow, you're alive?" Buffy asked breathlessly.

"Aren't I usually?" Willow replied. She let out an umph when Buffy hugged her so hard it took her breath away and she looked to Giles and Xander then groaned at the tightness of Buffy's hug. She looked shocked as Xander joined in hugging both of them. With a head on either side she looked to Giles. "I love you guys too?" she asked. "Okay, oxygen becoming an issue."

Buffy and Xander backed off both of them with tears in their eyes. Willow still was confused as she looked to Giles who took her by surprise and hugged her tightly. "O-kay," she got out breathlessly and Giles let her go, he had tears in his eyes as well.

"Sorry," he said happily.

She nodded to them looking them over like they were crazy. "It's really nice that you guys missed me." Her eyes widened. "Say, you all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs, did ya?"

"Will, we saw you in the Bronze," Buffy told her. "You were a vampire.

Willow was insulted and it showed. "I am not a vampire."

"You are," Buffy stated and Willow scowled, not at all menacing like the one vampire Willow had given her. "I-I mean you, you were. Giles, planning on jumping in with an explanation any time soon?"

"Yes, well, uh… something, um, very strange is happening," Giles said as he rubbed his glasses.

"You were just there, Will," Xander said.

"I was at my state required therapy session," Willow told them.

"Why did you think it was Jenny?" Giles asked.

"Usually she calls, she did early yesterday but not today," Willow told him.

"Last night?" Giles asked.

"Will stayed at my place," Buffy replied.

"We better find out what's going on," Xander said. "You're pretty scary as a vampire."

They started to get a few things out of the book cage but Willow who looked worried. "Um…," she got out and they looked her way. "Can she do my spells?" Willow asked. Giles and Buffy looked to each other.

"Dear god," Giles said taking his glasses off again.

"Where would she go," Buffy asked as she took up crossbow, "if she's not at the Bronze?" The three looked to Willow who was stunned.

"How should I know?" she asked.

"Well, you are her," Xander said. "Only in evil, sex mistress form."

Willow frowned at that. "Y-you are our best hope in finding her," Giles said as he handed Xander an axe and he himself had another crossbow and a bag full of slayer stuff.

"Yeah, Will," Xander said throwing an arm about his best friend's shoulder. "Just think up your most kinky sexual dreams and follow them." He and Buffy smiled at each other.

"Great," Willow replied unhappily.

"You know, Cordelia was acting weird today," Buffy told the others.

"She is Cordelia," Willow replied happy the topic was off of her and her evil twin.

"She had two huge vampires bites on her neck," Buffy told Giles who looked concerned. "Vampire sightings have been a little slow lately."

"What?" Xander replied looking concerned, so did Giles.

"She's not a vampire?" Giles asked.

"She was at school today," Buffy said shaking her head. "Sunlight and all."

"Who bit her?" Xander asked.

Buffy shrugged. "She didn't say, there was the strangeness though. She was jittery seeing you."

Xander frowned. "I didn't do anything. She hasn't been around for days."

Giles took off his glasses. "Maybe we should visit Cordelia and find the truth of what has happened to her."

"You think she might know?" Willow asked taking up holy water and a cross.

"Unless you know where Vampire Willow might be, it is interesting that with Cordelia's return comes your Vampiric counterpart and she carries bite marks on her neck," Giles said and they looked her way again and Willow thought about it this time then shook her head. "Right, Xander how do we find out where Cordelia is?" Giles asked.

**oooooooooo**

_Willow_ walked down the street enjoying the view of Sunnydale much better now. She could see it, being the Master of the city and having all of the power of the Hellmouth behind it. She smiled as she looked to her new underlings, once working for a now dead demon Mayor. Humans were stupid sheep. Didn't they know their elected leader was going to be their doom? She watched two teenagers happily run down the sidewalk towards her without a care in the world. Apparently not.

She was about to reach for one when she saw a familiar girl driving a convertible down the street. "Cordelia," _Willow_ said under her breath. She motioned to her underlings and with only the speed of a vampire or slayer _Willow_ began to run. The hunt was on.

Cordelia unaware of what was taking place drove down the street for the Bronze where her friends were waiting. What was she so scared of? Buffy was in this city, not like that nightmare she was in for three days before. She looked to see a slim figure step out into the street and look her way. Cordelia was shocked to see it was _Willow_. Leather clad _Willow_ with an evil grin on her face.

"No, no, no," Cordelia said as she began to hyperventilate and veered her car away from her and down a side street speeding up in the process. She headed for another path when another vampire got in her way and she turned the other way from them. It wasn't very long before she found herself out on the edge of town by the docks and the warehouses with no place left to go. Turning her car in a one-eighty determined to leave when her tire popped. Cordelia sat there in her car, her hands shaking as figures began to show up one striding forward confidently. _Willow_, the _Willow_ from the other world where Buffy hadn't come to Sunnydale… what she had wished for.

"Cordelia," _Willow_ said as she came up to the front of her car. Cordelia looked to her and saw it was truly that same _Willow_.

"Oh my god," Cordelia whispered.

_Willow_ laughed. "Goddess… I will be your goddess and you will worship me just as you wished all of the kids in school to do so to you." She put a hand on the hood. "I thought you would get out of the car and run," _Willow_ said with a pout. "There's no fun if your blood isn't pumping through those pretty veins of yours." They stared at each other for a moment and Cordelia realized that if Willow had been a dominant person as a human Cordelia would have been a nothing to her. _Willow_ slammed her hand down hard on the hood and with a grasp tore it off her car ripping the metal away from the hinges with ease. "Listen to me Cordelia!" _Willow_ demanded. "Listen and be afraid."

Cordelia screamed and scrambled out of the car as _Willow_ threw the hood of her car at the windshield. Cordelia ducked down as glass and metal sprayed around her. "I like screaming," _Willow_ said, under the car door Cordelia saw _Willow's_ leather boots head her way.

Cordelia got up and ran down the docks away from her only to hear _Willow_ laugh. She ran until her side hurt, she found an open door to a warehouse and went inside. It was quiet and dark, Cordelia found a stack of crates in one corner and hid behind them with her quick breath as the only sound.

"Cordy?" _Willow_ said. "Cordelia Chase? Queen Cordelia of Sunnydale High?" It was from up high and Cordelia looked up to see _Willow_ at one of the windows looking in. "You know, even when I hated you I wanted you. As a human of course," _Willow_ told her. "You're a mean, spiteful bitch and I admire you for that. Usually it takes a demon inside to turn someone that cruel."

Cordelia saw _Willow_ drop the twenty feet to the ground but there was no sound of her landing. "We even had an "I Hate Cordelia Chase Club', did you know that?" _Willow_ continued on as her voice rang through the mostly empty warehouse. "But I still thought you were beautiful. Why is that? Willow… the souled Willow, the weak Willow, she was a bit of a masochist. I guess that's why I don't mind the pain sometimes. But I like to give more than receive," _Willow_ said from right above Cordelia who looked up and screamed. Willow was crouching on a crate four feet above her like a vulture looking at its meal. "Does that make me… you know… Christian?" she asked looking at Cordelia like she expected her to answer.

Cordelia scrambled out from the boxes and hurried for the other side of the warehouse to find the exit blocked by a few vampires. They didn't come after her but they wouldn't let her out. She turned around to see _Willow_ stride slowly towards her. "How's your neck?" _Willow_ asked.

Cordelia touched it, _Willow _and _Xander_ had bitten her together and she had almost died if it hadn't of been for Buffy saving her. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" Cordelia begged as tears came to her eyes.

"Why should I?" _Willow_ asked as she strode around her like the predator she was looking her over like a piece of meat. "You tormented Willow for years and you didn't give a damn… so tell me… why… should… I?" _Willow_ whispered in her ear right above the bite mark she had made only the day before. With a rip the scarf was gone showing two vicious red bites.

"Because you'll have to deal with me," a voice said from the windows _Willow_ had come through.

Cordelia and _Willow_ looked up and there was Angel. _Willow_ smiled. "Puppy!" she said happily. "You have to wait your turn, puppy. I'm not done making my play toy yet."

Angel jumped down and the other vampires came in but _Willow_ motioned them off as Angel stepped in beside Cordelia. "I don't know what happened to you Willow," Angel told her. "But I'm sorry."

_Willow_ snorted in displeasure at that. "Oh please, puppy. Willow was a doormat when she was alive… a waste of air… one not worthy too… what was it you use to say Cordelia… walk in your shadow?" _Willow_ asked.

"I didn't mean it," Cordelia said realizing that she had been very mean to Willow who had been just been shy and kind. She had walked all over her.

"Of course you did, or why would you say it?" _Willow_ replied stroking her hands up Cordelia's arms as she looked to Angel. "You look better in chains," she told Angel then pointed at him. "Funis ut redimio."

Ropes and chains slid off over crates and boxes and tied around Angel. He fought them but soon enough he was bound up and he toppled over. "That's better," _Willow _said grabbing Cordelia arms making her cry out, her nose nuzzling into the bite mark.

"Finite incantatem," Willow's voice said from behind in the dark and the chains and rope dropped from Angel's body.

"Bummer," _Willow_ said as she let Cordelia go and turned to see Buffy, Xander, Giles and Willow step out from the shadows with vampire dust on them. She shook her head looking at her counterpart here. "From someone who's been both of us, this," she said pointing to herself, "is so much better."

"Demon talking Will," Buffy told her friend.

_Willow_ looked to Willow disappointed at their familiarity. "You're friends with _her_?" she said glaring Buffy. "The Slayer?"

"Here in this world she is, Willow went up against the Hellmouth," Cordelia said hiding behind Angel. "She helped stop the Master."

_Willow_ looked even more disappointed. "Puppy, tell pets who talk what happens to their tongues," she said to Angel.

Xander looked confused. "Who's Puppy?" he asked the crowd.

"And you," _Willow_ said looking to Xander with disdain as her vampires came in a little closer. This was going to be a brawl and they all knew it. "I thought as a vampire you would be mine… but all you wanted was Cordelia."

"Enough talk," Buffy said totally ready to kick her ass.

_Willow_ glared at her then smiled. "I've still got underlings sweetie," she said as Angel jumped at her from behind and the two went down but they both came up easily facing off at each other. "Exuro!" _Willow_ said pointing at Angel.

"Expelliarmus!" Willow countered _Willow's_ spell as everyone came in to fight. Cordelia ducked out of the way and hid.

_Willow_ squared off again Angel. "You were a pain in the ass there," she said ducking a punch. "Expelliarmus!" she said throwing Angel back into the wall.

"Diffindo!" Willow got out and one vampire looked down at the tears around his heart and Xander ran up and staked him turning him to ash.

"You know more than me," _Willow_ said glaring at Willow. "How do you know more!" She took a hard hit to the cheek by Buffy who had roundhoused the vampires and knocked the demon back, she did a flip and came up to _Willow_ side and struck her. "I couldn't kill you with a spell, I'll kill you with my hands!" _Willow_ said and they began to trade blows.

Angel was back up taking on the demon Buffy had left while Giles and Xander tackled a vampire and staked him. "Be careful what you say Willow!" Giles told his Willow. "She'll be able to use it!"

Willow nodded as she thought about what she learned around expelliarmus. Most of it was so easy, it didn't really do any damage. She thought about a word one that was harder and looked to _Willow_ and pointed her finger. _Willow_ was shifted back a little but not by much, spell worked a little. Willow growled her way but Buffy punched her again and _Willow_ snapped at her almost biting her hand.

"Axe! I need an axe!" Angel said holding the demon down, he wasn't a vampire and so far breaking his neck hadn't done anything but make him mad. Giles headed his way with one.

_Willow_ looked around to see that there was the demon and two vampires left. "Petrificus totalus!" she said pointing at Buffy. The slayer jerked a few times like she was in molasses. _Willow_ ran out of a back door while Willow was backing away from a vampire and Xander had another one down. Buffy broke free from the spell to find _Willow_ gone. "Damn it," she muttered as she went to help her own Willow.

With a wheel kick she took the vampire down and staked him. She looked to Willow who was looking tired. "Will I gotta say, the evil you-," she started.

"I'm a bitch, I know," Willow finished. "I don't even like me."

Buffy smiled as the two went to help the others. The demon's body and bits of ash here and there were the only remains of the fight along with some bruises and cuts. "Cordelia?" Xander called out and the brunette came out from her hiding place.

"Spill," Buffy told her.

Cordelia looked to Willow and let out a shaky breath. "I made a wish," she told them. "I made a wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale and it was granted." Buffy's eyebrows narrowed. "After our talk at school." Buffy nodded that she knew what she was talking about. "It was a nightmare, the Master ruled Sunnydale. Giles and Oz and Amy and that dorky guy… whatever his name is, they were part of this group called the White Hats trying to stop all the vampires." She sat down on a crate. "Darla had made Xander and Drusilla had made Willow."

It was quiet for a moment. "And the bites?" Buffy asked.

"Xander and Willow," Cordelia said covering her neck. "They bit me at the same time." She looked up to Buffy. "You saved me. You were a soldier slayer. Tough, not caring about anything but slaying, the Master killed you."

"The council," Giles said knowingly, the council had found her in that timeline and Buffy hadn't come.

"I guess," Cordelia said. "You weren't her watcher. I didn't want that wish anymore and then I was back here. I-," she looked to Willow, "I think evil Willow came with me."

The five gave her the normal 'what's new' look. "We better find her," Angel told them.

"I'll take Cordelia home," Giles told them.

The two left and the four who remained there went out of the warehouse to see them off. "So how do we find her?" Xander asked.

"Oh! Oh!" Willow said looking around on the ground.

"I don't think she left tracks Will," Buffy told her as the three watched her search.

"No a spell I've wanted to try but never had a chance," she said finding a bit of stick with one end narrower than the other she held it in her palm. "Point me."

They watched as the stick turned. "Where's it pointing?" Xander asked, they all looked at it curiously.

"At where I want to go," Willow told them.

"Which is?" Xander asked.

"Where evil, bitchy me is at," Willow said.

"Can't argue with that, " Buffy said. "Let's go."

"Notice it's not pointing at you," Xander said as they walked off the docks.

"Yay, go good me," Willow replied. Buffy smiled at Angel and took his hand as they walked behind them.

**oooooooooo**

It was close to two in the morning when Willow and the others found themselves back on the grounds at Sunnydale High, they had spotted Willow a half a mile earlier and saw her walk up the steps and into the school. "What would she be doing here?" Buffy asked.

They looked to Willow who shrugged. "I'm still dealing with the whole 'that's me in evil skanky ho form'," she replied. She didn't mention that _Willow_ exuded gayness, the vampiress had looked to every girl and woman along the way and not in an 'I'm your friend' sort of way. Willow did it herself only covertly.

"Wait," Angel said stopping Buffy from heading for the stairs that led to the main doors. "Look."

There coming out of the shadows in a wispy ghost like form was Drusilla. She followed _Willow_ inside. "O-kay, this gets more interesting all the time," Xander said.

"She's been wanting to make Willow her childe since she came to Sunnydale," Angel told them.

"Which is just so wrong," Willow said scowling.

"You have power and you're an innocent, Dru likes both of those thing," Angel replied.

"So what are we going to do?" Xander asked.

"Let's see what happens," Buffy said and they quietly entered into the school. It was dark and silent until they neared the gym. They could hear talking and they headed up the stairs that led to the running track above the bleachers. Crouching down they entered in to see Dru and _Willow_ facing each other on the main floor of the gym.

"- the blood of demon in you," Drusilla was saying.

"Not human anymore," _Willow_ replied watching as Drusilla wandered around the large gym taking in the sight of a different Willow.

"And who did this?" Drusilla asked. "Who is your sire?"

_Willow_ smiled. "You are," _Willow_ replied and Drusilla looked shocked. "Or should I say 'were'. You were tiring after the first few months and I wanted so much more than to be the childe of the crazy one."

Drusilla hissed at her and _Willow_ rolled her eyes. "Bad girl!" Drusilla chided her as she weaved about in her weird little dangerous dance no one understood.

_Willow_ gave her a wicked grin as she slid closer to her. "What are you going to do, spank me?" she asked as the two came incredibly close together and Drusilla stood still. Willow flushed and so did Xander.

"Holy cow Will, your demon's a little on the gay side," Xander whispered.

"Actually-," Angel started only to have Buffy nudge him to be quiet.

Drusilla snapped her teeth playfully at Willow a few times. "You like to play?" she asked.

_Willow_ nodded. "Puppy was awfully fun," she replied only to frown. "Puppy's free here."

Drusilla leaned in and they kissed. Willow was glad they were in the shadows because her face was hot and Xander's breathing got heavier.

_Willow _grabbed Drusilla's wrists and pushed her into a wall of folded up bleachers still kissing her. Drusilla fought back. "Only one leader in this world," _Willow_ said as they struggled to pin each other.

"Spike and I lead here," Drusilla told her.

_Willow_ flipped Drusilla away but the elder vampiress stayed upright and they were positioned defensively. "Spike," _Willow_ said as her lip curled up with a smile. "He was fun until he got soft. The Master had him killed last year."

Drusilla looked confused. "Spike is living, childe."

_Willow_ laughed. "Not in my world, or are you losing your visions mummy?"

Drusilla growled and ran at her claws and teeth out. "Impudent childe!"

"Offendo," _Willow_ said pointing her way. Drusilla stumbled to her knees and _Willow_ laughed. "Come mummy, fight me."

Drusilla was up again. "Spells for trickery. Spells against your mummy. Mummy will make you hurt."

_Willow_ backed up a step. "I'm scared," she said sarcastically. Drusilla jumped high at her. "Morsus," _Willow _got out pointing her way again and Drusilla curled up with a cry and landed on the floor.

Willow up in the bleachers shook her head. Vampire Willow was just making it up using Latin to bring her spells about. She knew there were worse ones as Drusilla shook the spell off after a minute, apparently the other Willow didn't know them.

Drusilla was slower to get up and _Willow_ waited with a smirk much like Spike's. "You think she'll kill her?" Buffy asked Angel.

Angel shook his head. "I don't know. She might." You could tell in his voice he hoped she didn't.

"Diffindo," _Willow_ said repeating the word Willow had used at the warehouse and Drusilla looked surprised as a few little slices appeared on her skin and the blood oozed out lightly.

Buffy looked to her Willow who shrugged. "She's never done it before," Willow whispered. "She doesn't know what it does."

"That could be helpful," Buffy whispered.

Drusilla licked the blood away from one on her arm and smiled _Willow's_ way. "What's this with fighting? We can share can't we?"

_Willow_ gave her a look. "I don't share," she told her sire. "Accio broom!" she said and a broom left behind by the door flew to her hand. Drusilla looked to it then to _Willow_ who broke it in half making it into a stake.

Drusilla glared at her only to look up at the ceiling. "Kill mummy will you?" Drusilla said. She smiled _Willow's_ way. "I don't want you as a childe no more. Too much power, better the witch is dead. I shall live another day, Miss Edith will miss you, both of you."

Everyone watched as Drusilla left, even _Willow_ was surprised. "That was weird," Buffy said.

"Not for Dru," Angel told her. "Everything she says means something if you listen to it. I'm going to follow her, make sure she doesn't bring back reinforcements." Silently he left them.

"Is it me," Xander whispered to his friends as they followed _Willow _out of the gym, "that we're following someone scarier than the vampire called the 'scary dark power' Kendra came to stop? Not that it worked…"

"Where's she going?" Willow asked.

"Looks like the library," Buffy said.

"For what?" Willow replied as they crept along.

"Beats me," Buffy admitted. "We can take her on in there."

"I did say scarier than the scary dark power, right?" Xander said worriedly.

"We have to stop her somewhere, she made Drusilla run away, how many vampires do you know who can do that?" Buffy said back as she looked around the corner to see _Willow_ go into the library.

"Petrificus totalus," Willow said and the Slayer went still shifting just a little like she was fighting the spell, must less than when _Willow_ did it to her.

"Will!" Xander hissed loudly.

"Watch her Xander," Willow said swallowing hard as she stood up. "It's my bad half, my fight."

"Are you crazy?" Xander asked jerking her back down to a crouch with him. "She doesn't have any-any you know… good thought things to stop her from killing you!"

Willow looked to her oldest friend. "Or you, or Buffy or anyone I care about. D-do you think I want to do this?" she asked him, she was really scared. "What are you going to do, throw bad jokes at her?"

Xander blinked a couple of times. "They aren't that bad," he said a little offended that he couldn't protect his friend.

Willow released his hand and stood up, her hands shaking. "Get Buffy out if I lose," she told him and headed for the door.

Xander looked unhappy. "Like that's going to happen," he muttered looking at Buffy who's hand began to move just a little her mouth slowly going into a frown.

**oooooooooo**

Willow slid through the doorway to see _Willow_ throwing books out of the book cage an odd weapon went out as well. Willow snuck up and shut the door making _Willow_ turn to look at her. There was that smile. "You think you can keep me here?" _Willow_ asked.

"Colloportus," Willow said at the door and they heard it lock.

_Willow _laughed. "Alohamora," she replied but when she went to open the door it didn't budge. "Aperio!" she said and pressed on the door, it still didn't budge. "How did you do that?" she hissed out at Willow.

Willow backed up a little, the evil version of herself was scary. In all honesty Willow didn't think she could ever look or act like that. "Didn't you study?" Willow asked.

_Willow_ gave her a look and Willow shrugged. "Busy being dead," _Willow_ told her. "Where did you learn?"

"Jenny," Willow replied glad _Willow_ wasn't flinging spells at her.

_Willow_ let out a noise of disgust. "The gypsy? You believe in her?" Willow looked confused and _Willow_ looked disgusted with her. "You're a tool, we were a tool to her. Some kind of power her clan wanted."

Willow shook her head. "Jenny's not like that."

_Willow_ nodded to Willow's locket. "There's something in it, I don't know what, but she died hiding it from me." Willow picked up her locket and looked to the Willow tree on it. "Your Jenny is probably dead by now, so we'll never find out."

Willow looked up at her worried. "What did you do?"

_Willow_ smiled. "Scared her, left a slave to kill her if she dared to leave the house."

"A- slave," Willow replied and _Willow_ gave her the same annoyed look.

"Humans are so boring, the world is at your fingertips! You're a witch! You can do anything," _Willow_ told her and the smile became more wicked. "Think if we were to work together. The power we would have, no one would stop us."

Willow shook her head. "N-no! That's not right!"

"That's the point," _Willow_ said tugging on the door testing it to get free. "You're so timid, look at where it's gotten you. You never had a spine until you died – you're a waste of all that power."

Willow turned away from her and _Willow_ smiled. "Morsus," she said and Willow went to her knees as a light pain coursed through her body. Nothing near what she had felt in her vision with Harry.

Willow turned as _Willow_ cast another. "Diffindo!" _Willow_ said angrily.

"Expelliarmus!" Willow returned countering it. The light from the spells clashed and Willow won making _Willow_ growl in anger.

_Willow_ ransacked her small space and came up with a dagger. She looked at Willow but instead of trying to magically throw it at her she cut her own palm, blood welling up into her palm. Willow looked confused at this. "Permoveo cruor," _Willow_ said and the blood began to siphon out of her hand through the air and towards the floor by the main table.

"What are you doing?" Willow asked absolutely confused.

_Willow_ smiled. "Atrum vox adeo mihi," she called out. "Hellmouth open."

"Oh god," Willow whispered. "Finite incantatem!" she called out but there were cracks in the floor and dark mist rose from the ground.

_Willow_ laughed from inside the book cage. "When I get enough power I will kill you. And maybe turn you, we could have so much fun here."

Willow moved in front of the book cage. "Impervius!" she said pointing at the cage. The mist swirled about in front of the cage and _Willow_ shook it as if she could get it's attention.

"No! What did you do?" _Willow_ demanded as the mist turned back. There were two with the same everything other than a soul and the dark mist headed for Willow.

Willow moved up onto the second level to get away from it knowing what the dark power did when it was summoned. "Uh…" she had to think about what to say. "What's Latin for shield?"

_Willow_ just watched as Buffy and Xander came in through the door. "Willow!" Buffy said and the dark mist entered Willow's body. _Willow_ in the cage laughed.

"Crap," Xander said as Willow stood up straight, her eyes were black and her hair was turning it.

"Get out!" Willow told Buffy and Xander.

"Will," Buffy said. "This isn't your fight."

"It is, but I want it to be yours slayer," _Willow_ said from the cage. "Suffoco," she said but the spell rebounded off of Willow's spell and the vampire ducked it.

Willow came down the stairs looking more evil than _Willow_ in the cage. "I have the power Buffy," Willow said, her voice turning a little strange. "I can feel it in my blood, in every pore."

"That's not you!" Buffy said. "That's misty wicked witch of the west stuff talking!"

"But it feels good," Willow told her. "I'm not scared, I'm not scared of anything." She smiled. "Not even of dying."

"You can't die with that much in you," _Willow_ said. "Kill the Slayer, we can take use all the dark essence we need and rule the world. No one will ever call you weak again."

"She's not weak you vampire bitch!" Xander said. "Shut up!"

_Willow_ grasped the little bars in the cage. "You were top dog in the other world, until the Slayer killed you. The childe of Darla, still making me second in your life. When you died I was the right hand of the Master!" _Willow_ said looking to her counterpart who looked back. "We were second to no one."

Buffy was watching Willow who seemed to be swayed by this. "Will, is that what you think?" she asked gently. "That you aren't good enough?"

Willow looked her way and a black tear ran down her cheek. "Aren't I?" she asked. "You're the Slayer, you're your own myth. You're the vampire boogeyman. Xander dared to be with a girl I can't even stand… and me… I have Snyder and Percy West to walk all over me."

"No more," _Willow_ said from the cage. "You can destroy them all."

"I said shut up or I'll stake your ass," Xander warned her.

Both Willow's rolled their eyes at that. "Mythical Slayer is your best friend, Will," Buffy told her with a sad smile. "I may not be the most wonderful best friend, but you never judged me, and look at me, I got kick ass witch as a best friend in return."

Xander came over by Buffy still a little afraid to come close to dark misty Willow. "If you want I'll never see Cordelia again," he said to Willow. "Ever, I'll even shun her in the hallways. She'll never be more important to me than you."

_Willow_ in the cage sighed. "Humans are so boring. Blah, blah, blah, I love you," she mocked them. "When this is over will they care?" she asked.

Willow looked to her friends. "Yes," she replied and smiled a little.

_Willow_ rolled her eyes again. "Alohamora!" she yelled pointing at the door. It opened and she came out. "Exuro!" she said pointing at Willow.

"Impedimenta!" Willow shot back. Willow's spell crushed vampire _Willow's_ but vampire _Willow_ ran for the spot where the Hellmouth was located.

"Atrum vox adeo mihi!" _Willow_ called out.

"Finite Incantatem!" Willow said loudly.

The cracks in the boards closed up and _Willow_ screamed in anger as she clawed into them. "No!" She looked back to Willow, she was more pale than usual. "Intereo! Intereo!" she yelled at her.

"Flagrare!" Willow countered with as the mist blocked the magic _Willow_ sent to her.

_Willow_ felt a heat rise in her and looked to see her fingers begin to burn. "Fu-," she started to say only to burst into ash.

Willow sank to her knees and her two friends joined her. "I'm sorry Will," Buffy said to her as Giles came into the library in a rush.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"Well, Willow went and killed herself," Xander said hoping to cheer Willow up.

"Oh… yes,- right," Giles said not completely understanding.

"Will?" Buffy asked looking to her friend. The black mist was still around her but she dared to reach over and hugged her. Willow latched onto her like a lifeline. Xander wrapped around them from the other side and they stayed their for a long moment.

"I killed me," Willow whispered to them.

"No, demon inside you, Will," Buffy told her. "You are nothing like her."

Willow honestly wondered if that was true. She took in a breath and moved making her friends let her go. "Jenny," she said getting up.

"What about her?" Giles asked.

"Evil me said she left her to die at the house," Willow replied.

**oooooooooo**

**Three in the morning…**

The four hurried up the driveway to see Jenny's car. "She came home," Willow said as Buffy picked up Jenny's leather jacket. The door to the house was open and there was glass from a broken window scattered about in the living room. Willow started in to find the others stopped. She turned to see them push on an invisible barrier.

"What's this?" Giles asked.

Willow felt it, earth magic, maybe even gypsy magic. "Finite incantatem," she said, the dark mist flared around her and the barrier fell easily. They checked the house out to find Jenny wasn't there. Xander, proud of his woodshop skills found some wood and boarded up the window and Willow locked the door.

"Where would she be?" Willow asked getting even more scared than she was before. "She could be dead… in a place we don't know."

"Can you find her?" Xander asked. "With your pointy stick thingy spell?"

"It would be best not to at the moment," Giles said. "You have a lot of dark… essence it was called, yes, around you and it wouldn't be wise to let it out. Not until we know what to do with it."

"Hospital or police station would be the best start," Buffy told them. "We better hurry, because if my mom wakes up and I'm not in bed, I'm toast."

"Buffy you and Xander check out the police station," Giles told them. "Willow and I will go to the hospital."

It wasn't long before Giles pulled his car into the hospital parking lot. Willow followed him in wearing Jenny's jacket, she felt better with it on.

"Yes, I'm looking for someone, a woman who might have been brought in," Giles was telling the nurse at the information desk. Willow looked around, the room was half empty and the TV was on showing the police at city hall. There were a few stretchers with body bags on being hauled out. The Chief of Police was directing questions and the information at the bottom of the screen said that the mayor had been found dead in his office.

"Her name?" the nurse asked and Willow turned to the conversation.

"Jenny-Jennifer Calendar," Giles told them.

The nurse typed that into the computer then shook her head. "She's not here."

Willow felt Jenny's wallet and she took it out to see Jenny's driver's license. "Her?" Willow asked handing the wallet across.

The nurse looked to it then to them interested. "She's our Jane Doe," she told them as she took down the information. "She's resting in the ER, but she took some damage from the man who assaulted her."

"She'll be okay?" Giles asked.

"The doctor would know more," she told them. "Who are you?"

"I'm her-," Giles cleared his throat. "Boyfriend. This is her daughter, Willow."

"Oh," the nurse said looking to Willow. "Come on then, sweetheart. We'll get you to your mom."

Willow looked to Giles who motioned for her to go along with it. They followed the nurse back into another section of the hospital, one they knew well. There in a curtained off area was Jenny with a IV and a blood pressure gauge attached to her and white gauze around her head. "The doctor will be with you in a moment," the nurse told them patting Willow's shoulder.

Willow sat by Jenny as Giles went to find the doctor. Willow hadn't realized just how important Jenny had become to her. She had taken her in, she cared about her, taught her what she knew about magic… She thought about what evil her said. Was she a tool? The Watcher's Council thought that way about Buffy. What was she a tool for? Willow looked to her locket. What secret was there hiding inside?

Giles came back in. "The doctor says we'll have to wait for her to wake up." Willow nodded. "I could have Buffy take you home."

Willow shook her head. "No, I want to stay here," she told him quietly.

Giles watched her for a moment. "Alright. I'll find Buffy and tell her what's happening. But you stay here."

Willow nodded at this and he left soon after.

**oooooooooo**

It was late in the morning around ten when Jenny woke up. Her head was splitting but she was alive. She looked to see Willow in one chair with her head on the bed and Rupert in another with his head to his chest, both of them asleep.

She touched Willow's red hair and the girl woke up. "Sorry," Willow said as she sat up rubbing her eyes.

Jenny closed her eyes. "No, I am," she replied. They looked to each other. "I- have some things I need to tell you Willow," Jenny said. "You and Rupert… and Buffy."

Willow nodded. "I know." Jenny's eyebrow went up at that. "Evil me told me." Jenny felt her headache worsening at that.

After Willow reassured Jenny that she wasn't a mental case she went down to get herself something from the vending machines. "Willow," a familiar voice said.

Willow turned to see Agent Coltrane coming her way. "Hey," Willow replied.

"How's Ms. Calendar?" the agent asked.

"She'll be okay," Willow told her.

"Let's go see her, the police are going to need a report and so am I," the agent said.

It was late in the afternoon by the time the authorities were satisfied with a story about a burglar. Willow had been safe at Buffy's when it occurred and Jenny would be up in a day or so. At the moment she was in her own hospital room when Buffy and Xander came in.

"Ms. C, lookin' good," Xander said with a smile.

Buffy handed over a box of chocolates. "They always help me, and I had to stop Xander from getting into them."

"I was hungry," Xander defended himself as he put his arm about Willow sitting by her. "I had a snack-."

"Fifteen minutes ago when we got the chocolates," Buffy said.

"Which is long for the male teenager," Xander replied.

"You said you needed to speak to us Jenny," Giles said shutting the door for privacy.

Jenny looked to the chocolates and the flowers Rupert had brought. "I'm not what I seem to be," she told them. She looked to Rupert who smiled.

"Start at the beginning, always easiest," he encouraged her.

Jenny looked to Willow. "I come from a clan called Kalderash," she told her. "A gypsy clan." She held out her talisman for them to see. "This is a magic talisman that has been handed down for many generations. It's my connection to gypsy magic."

"Like Willow is her own conduit," Xander said.

"Or wands for the other wizards out there," Buffy helped.

Jenny nodded. "I didn't want any part of my heritage, it's old and steeped in revenge and trying to control the outcome of things." She swallowed. "I wanted to go to college, I loved computers and technology even then."

"You bucked the system," Buffy said. "Welcome to the club."

"Not entirely," Jenny replied looking her way. "My Aunt, an Elder told me of a young woman… a girl who would need to be guided into her gifts. I told her that it was their job to interfere not mine, I didn't have power that some of my cousins had." She looked out the window as she thought about what to say. "She told me if I didn't then the one who was sent would train her as I was trained… to work for the clan, not to be themselves," she told them. "I didn't want that, I didn't want some girl to never find what she truly was, to never dream to just be her."

"So you took it," Giles said.

Jenny nodded. "I was sent here, to Sunnydale."

"That girl… is me?" Willow asked.

Jenny nodded again. "You're protected here, not from evil but from everything else. No one knows of you because of the Hellmouth. You're fifteen, Willow, I've never seen power like yours, the Elders of my clan… it takes them years to get halfway to your level. Imagine what your powers will be like when you're twenty… or fifty."

"So they sent you to train me," Willow said hearing _Willow's_ voice in her mind. "As a tool for the clan."

"That's what they wanted," Jenny said. "But they knew… they knew I wouldn't do that. I would train you so they would leave you alone. But they didn't trust me to fulfill my task."

"What did they do?" Buffy asked flatly.

Jenny closed her eyes as a tear trickled out. "They cursed your parents to leave you… because you weren't their flesh and blood."

Willow was still and the others looked to her in shock. "What?" Xander asked loudly.

"I-I didn't know, Willow," Jenny told her. "Not until they were gone and I found what they had done… but I wasn't sure who was doing it. So I set out to find them."

"That's where you've been going all summer…" Giles said quietly.

"I found more than that," Jenny said looking his way. "I found that there's another of my clan here. Watching Angel."

"Why Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Do you know how he got his soul back?" Jenny asked her.

"A curse," Giles said taking off his glasses. "A- a gypsy curse."

"My clan, he killed the beloved daughter of the Kalderash clan," Jenny said. "They cursed him with his soul."

"The creepy man who's been watching us?" Buffy got out.

Jenny nodded. "It's his sole purpose to make sure the curse is always there," Jenny told her.

"Where are my parents?" Willow asked still in shock about the first part of the conversation.

Jenny shook her head. "I don't know Willow. I don't think he knows and I know the Elders won't tell me."

Willow went to look out the window holding her arms about herself tightly. "They're gone?" Xander asked.

"Yes," Jenny said. "I figured out how to break the curse over four months ago… they've never come back looking for you and none of your relatives back East have asked for custody. You probably don't exist to them anymore."

"Do you know who she is?" Giles asked.

"The locket tells it all," Jenny said. Willow looked her way and came over with it. Jenny took Willow's hand and cupped it around the locket. "Do you feel it? I did the first time I saw it."

Willow nodded. "It's magic."

"Blood magic, old magic," Jenny told her. "Ask it in your mind to show you it's secret."

Willow looked to Jenny then down to the locket and she held it tight and closed her eyes. She looked to it. "It's still a Willow," she said. Jenny turned it over and there in the gold an engraven image moved. It was two adults holding two infant children. "Oh my god," Willow said as tears came to her eyes. The others looked to see.

"Now that you know it touch it and it will show you," Jenny said.

Willow did and the picture was gone to show her name. "Willow Lily Potter," Willow said, "daughter of James Potter and Lily Evans Potter, brother… Harry James Potter. If so desired contact Abl-Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts."

"Once more and it's hidden," Jenny told her.

"Why did you hide it?" Willow asked.

Jenny shook her head. "I wasn't sure what to do, I didn't think you were ready. The clan… they made me believe that it was better kept a secret."

"Than what?" Buffy asked. "It's her family." She looked shocked at her thought. "They didn't take her did they?" Willow looked horrified at this thought as well.

"No!" Jenny said. She hoped to god they didn't. "I don't know what happened, only that you were here and if I wanted to help you have somewhat of a normal life I needed to teach you what I could or they'd send someone else."

"Won't they be pissed you're telling her… us this?" Xander asked angrily.

"They already know, I found my Uncle, he'll tell them," Jenny said. "I won't let them hurt you," she told Willow. "I've already done enough of that."

"Do you know where they are, my parents, my real parents," Willow asked. "My brother." She smiled at Buffy. "I have a brother Ha-, the one from my vision." She looked to Jenny who looked sad. Willow left the room and Xander followed her, Buffy made to follow her too when Jenny stopped her.

"The curse… if Angel is ever-," Jenny started.

"I don't want to know," Buffy told her and left.

Jenny was silent and looked to Giles. "Are you mad too?"

"I am," he said as he sat on the side of the bed. "But I understand keeping secrets and how they can hurt." He sighed as he looked her way. "Do you care for Willow?"

Jenny smiled. "I thought we would just be teacher-student. But I love her, like a daughter."

Giles nodded. He understood, he felt the same about Buffy.

**oooooooooo**

"That's a lot to take in," Angel said as he walked with Buffy on patrol that night. The cemetery was quiet, more than normal, evil Willow had come through town and apparently she wasn't one to turn victims into vampires. They headed through a section of mausoleums towards the other side. "Is she really mad?"

Buffy shrugged. "I can't tell, she locked herself in her room and even Xander's pleadings didn't get her to come out. I think she just needs time to deal."

Angel nodded to the figure a distance away, one they never really spotted before. But with slayer and vampire vision they did. "That him?" he asked and Buffy nodded. They smiled at each other and kissed deeply.

"Whew," Buffy said with a smile. "I liked that."

Angel smiled with her. "Even with him watching?" Buffy nodded. "Your birthday is coming up in a couple of months," he said and she nodded again.

"Sixteen, driver's license and all," she said.

"How about a real date?" he offered. "The fancy restaurant, dancing."

"Everything?" she asked kissing him again.

"Everything," he replied kissing her.

"It's a date," she whispered happily.

**oooooooooo**

Jenny came home with the help of Giles to see the place was spotless and the glass replaced. "You'll make sure she knows about the curse, right?" Jenny was asking Giles as he settled her on the couch.

"Yes, I will, now rest," Giles told her.

Jenny did just sitting there glad to be out of the hospital. Willow hadn't come back to see her and Jenny didn't blame her. She looked up when she heard footsteps thinking it was Giles. It was Willow.

"How are you?" Willow asked sitting quietly on the ottoman nearby.

"I should ask you that," Jenny replied.

Willow shrugged. "Evil Willow put the fear into Percy, he did his own homework," she told her. "I asked Oz to just be friends…and Cordelia…she apologized to me."

They were quiet for a while. "I'll call Agent Coltrane," Jenny said. "We can ask Joyce, Mrs. Summers to take custody."

Willow looked up at her chewing on her bottom lip a little. "Did you mean what you said- about not knowing?"

Jenny shook her head. "I wanted to strangle my uncle, I wanted to strangle them," she said honestly. "I understand duty and honor, but you didn't ask for any of this, anymore than Buffy asked to be the Slayer, look where she'd be if the Council had gotten a hold of her." Most likely Buffy would be dead. "I care for you Willow, more than if I hadn't of taken you in, but I want you to stay with me, I want you to be ready for whatever life is going to throw at you and it's not going to be pretty."

Willow was silent for a few minutes. "Okay, but you have to be honest with me."

Jenny nodded. "I can do that." They were silent a bit longer, but it was more comfortable. "I hear you've sucked the Hellmouth back in again." Willow blushed and Jenny smiled at that.

**oooooooooo**

**Hogwarts…**

It was late as Harry snuck up with Ron and Hermione in the late evening to the Owlery. It was early December and there was a blanket of snow all over the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Is there a reason 'why' you couldn't send him an owl in daylight hours?" Ron whispered to Hermione.

"I don't want 'her' or the Slytherins reading my mail, thank you," Hermione said as she took up Hedwig with Harry's permission giving him a letter after tying a small packet to it's leg.

School had actually gotten worse, no one believed it was possible but it had. Umbridge had started up the 'Inquisition' and boy was it one. Draco Malfoy and his little gitty peons lorded over the hallways and classes. Hermione told them that there was no point in being a Prefect when they had no authority.

"What's up Harry?" Hermione asked as they came over to where he was looking out into the distance.

He looked their way. "I'm not sure, I'm missing something," he told them as he got his invisible cloak ready for them to sneak back down to the common room. "Something important."

**oooooooooo**

**Translations:**

Fear me

Love me

Serve me

Shield this house, all who dwell may enter, intruders be kept at bay.

Die

Burn

Flay

Rope that binds

Stumble

Pain

Open

Move blood

Dark power come to me

Choke

Dark power come to me

Die, die

**To Be Continued…**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hogwarts – December 18th **

It was almost Christmas and Harry was glad he wasn't staying here for the first time since he had come to Hogwarts. He had been invited to stay with the Weasley's. At the moment the last DA class was getting over for the term before everyone left for the holiday. Everyone said Happy Christmas and Harry could have left but he was waiting for one person in particular. Cho.

"Happy Christmas Harry," Neville said as he left. Harry waved to him as Cho motioned for her friend the grumpy Marietta to leave without her. The girl finally did and it was now just the two of them and Harry was thrilled, Cho wanted to be alone… with him.

She was awfully close to the mistletoe Dobby had hung around the place with many other ornaments including an embarrassing golden one saying 'Have a Harry Christmas' on them which he got down just in time before the others started showing up.

Cho stood there chewing a little on her lip and Harry saw there were tears in her eyes. What was that for? It wasn't long before she asked if Cedric knew all of this would he be alive. Harry's heart sank, she didn't want to stay to talk to him about them, but to talk about Cedric… wonderful.

"Cedric knew this stuff," Harry finally said to her. Tears were still coming down her cheeks. "He made it to the center of the maze, but if Voldemort wants you dead then you're dead."

She made a noise at the name of the Dark Lord, but she didn't flinch, which he was impressed with. "I'm sorry," she told him. "I guess I just needed to know." And the tears started up again.

Harry patted her back lightly not exactly sure what to do. He had the Dursley's emotional togetherness which was non-existent and Hermione to go on when it came to things like this. Only Hermione rarely cried, one usually backed out of her way because the fiery-tempered girl could be lethal when she was emotional.

Cho looked up which made Harry looked up as well, they were under the mistletoe. Harry's eyes came back to see Cho looking his way. Even with her eyes red rimmed from crying she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He leaned in and kissed her and he was happy she kissed him back. It was wetter than he thought then he realized that a good share of that were her tears, and he felt her teeth from where he pressed but her lips were so soft, it was nothing like he imagined, it ended too soon for Harry and he was in a haze as Cho left with a small wave to him. He came out of it as he entered the Gryffindor common room and realized he had no idea how he got there.

"Where were you then?" Ron asked from where he sat by the fireplace with Hermione, he was on the rug and she was in a chair. No one else was really about, a few others in different parts of the common room which gave them some privacy.

Hermione was writing something on a parchment, she was in a lovely robe that was open showing she was in a pretty blue skirt and ivory turtleneck sweater that was different than what she wore to the DA meeting. "Did Cho corner you?" she asked looking to Harry from her writing.

Ron sat up curiously now and he grinned. "What's this? You kiss her?" Harry looked away from his friends and Ron began to laugh and Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's immaturity. "How was it?" Ron asked.

Harry looked back at them remembering it. "Wet," he replied. Ron and Hermione looked confused. "From her tears, she was crying."

Ron looked really confused. "You weren't that bad, were you?"

"I dunno, I might be," Harry replied with a shrug.

Hermione made a noise at that not even looking up from her paper. "Of course you're not, don't be silly."

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked up this time. "She spends all her time crying these days, in class, in the loo, at mealtime, all over the place."

"What's that supposed to mean? What girl cries when someone's kissing them?" Ron asked not understanding.

"Yeah," Harry joined in not understanding either. "Who does?"

Hermione set her quill down giving them the look that they were both utterly stupid. "She's feeling guilty," she told them. "She likes both Cedric and Harry and she feels that if she likes Harry more then she's insulting Cedric's memory, and she's worried what people will say if she starts going out with Harry."

The two boys were stunned at this revelation. "No one can feel all that at once," Ron finally said. "They'd explode."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Just because you have the emotional capacity of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have," she replied. The clock in the common room chimed on to nine-thirty and Hermione smiled and stood up.

"Where are you off to then?" Ron asked.

"Out, I have a guest coming," she told them as she collected her books and supplies.

"Who?" Harry asked.

Hermione was still smiling. "Viktor."

"He's here?" Ron said.

Hermione nodded as she took out a very small muggle compact mirror and looked to herself in it, the boys watched like she was an alien. Hermione saw the look and gave them stern one in reply as she closed it with a snap. "Just because the two of you are floundering in nothing of a relationship doesn't mean the rest of us are." She looked to them squarely. "Harry I can understand, he's trying and he's very busy. You," she said looking to Ron. "You haven't got a clue."

Hermione headed for the entrance. "Umbridge will be waiting," Ron called out angrily; she had pinpointed his lack of social skills with the opposite sex.

"I have permission," Hermione told them. "Who's going to say no to Viktor Krum?" She waved to Harry and then headed out.

Harry waved back a little and she was gone. The two rarely got to see each other but he knew they wrote all the time. Ron fell back onto the rug by the fireplace. "Vicky," he muttered.

"Give it up Ron," Harry replied as he stood up. "You're just jealous."

Ron made a face. "I'm not into guys."

Harry laughed. "Hermione you dolt," he replied knowing that in his own way Ron still had a thing for Hermione and usually showed it in the wrong ways, most of it was arguing with her. "I'm going up to bed."

Ron sighed and got up to go with him; by himself there wasn't much to do. The two headed upstairs and Ron collapsed on his bed to stare at the canopy above while Harry went to his trunk. He had most of his Christmas present ready. Hermione, Ron were his two biggest. There were smaller ones for Hagrid, Ginny and Tara even Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Hermione had helped him out not really knowing what to get parent type people since he never did anything for the Dursley's. He felt his side where Uncle Vernon had hit him once when he was eight. It was rare to happen but it did. He had talked to Tara about it once, they had both shared childhood scars, hers was her father. Harry found out her father was a squib and so was her older brother, apparently where the seer line ran strong in the McClay females, being a squib ran strong in the males in her father's line.

Harry pulled out a package that didn't look familiar. He opened it up and found a soft white and green sweater in it. It was a girl's sweater so it must have been for someone. Harry tucked it away in its package and back into the trunk, he felt like he should know who it was for, but it avoided him.

He changed for bed and wondered if he had done things right with Cho. Maybe she was expecting him to ask her out. What if she was and he didn't and now she was angry with him? He set his glasses on the bedside table and climbed into bed. Maybe she would be happier next time he kissed her, if he got to. He realized that was something they should teach at school, how girl's brains work.

"Night," he heard Ron off to his right.

"Night," Harry replied as he rolled over and went to sleep, it hadn't taken long he was tired.

He dreamt of the DA room and Cho accused him of luring her there with the promise of Chocolate Frog cards. Cedric had given her hundreds. Cho changed into Hermione who was trying to tell him what to do to get Cho to like him but it was ridiculous, give Cho his Firebolt? He didn't even have it anymore; Umbridge had taken it away when he was banned from Quidditch. Hermione moved towards the door and Harry wondered where she was going. As she slipped out she changed form into a slip of a girl with long straight auburn red hair just like his mother's. Harry ran out to find the girl only to see his dream was gone. The whole dream had changed to another dream.

He was solid and smooth, powerful, flexible. He slid across a stone floor on his belly and knew what he was, a snake. He slithered about and there in front of him was his prey, a man with his head drooping from where he sat on the floor. The man moved and stood seeing him a wand came out and Harry knew what he had to do. He rose up and struck at the man three times, he tasted blood wash his mouth and ribs splinter beneath his teeth. The man yelled in pain and then Harry felt his own pain and everything went black in his vision but he could hear and pain seared through his forehead.

"Harry! Harry!" he heard Ron yelling in his ear.

Harry was tangled in his sheets and looked to see he was in his bed. He turned and threw up over the side, his whole body in pain it almost blinded him. He needed to talk, to tell Ron.

"Are you alright, mate?" Ron asked feeling his forehead. "He's burning up!"

"Should we get someone?" another boy asked, it sounded like Neville. It wasn't long before footsteps ran out of the room.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

"Ron," Harry got out through the pain. "Listen."

"We're getting someone, alright?" Ron said as Harry shook his head.

"Your dad," Harry told him and gritted his teeth. "He was attacked."

"What?" Ron asked looking at him like he was crazy.

"He was bitten, its serious… blood… everywhere," Harry said.

"Mate, you was dreamin'," Ron said now really scared. "Neville's gone for help."

Harry threw up again and Ron jumped out of the way. "I'm fine," he told his friend after he wiped off his mouth. "Your dad's in trouble! We need-," he tried not to throw up again tasting the blood in the back of his throat. "We need to find out where he is."

Dean and Seamus watched whispering to each other as Neville came running back with Professor McGonagall right behind him dressed in a tartan dressing gown. It had taken all that Harry could muster to convince the Professor that he wasn't 'just' dreaming, that it had been real he knew it was. The transfiguration teacher didn't let him down; she took him and Ron to Dumbledore's office.

They went in to see Tara and Professor Sprout already there. Tara was in a blue robe and pale yellow nightgown. Her hair was a little disarrayed as she worried her hands while Professor Sprout tried to calm her down. Dumbledore looked to the new arrivals but it was Tara that spoke.

"Tell them, Harry," she begged him as she clasped his hands her blue eyes looking into his. "Tell them we saw the same thing."

"What's this?" McGonagall asked.

"The snake that bit-," Tara started as her worried blue eyes shifted to Ron.

"Mr. Weasley," Harry replied feeling relief. "You saw it too?"

"Images, so faint," Tara whispered as her eyes shifted just a little only to return to him as she blinked.

It wasn't the same, Harry realized. Tara's extraordinary gift had come in and she had 'seen' it. But not lived it like he had.

"Is this true?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry nodded. "It-it wasn't a dream, it was real, I saw it happen," he told the headmaster. "Ron's dad was bitten by a large snake."

"We must hurry," Tara implored to Dumbledore. "Please."

Dumbledore rested a hand on Tara's shoulder to calm her as he looked to Harry. "How did you see this?" he asked.

Harry got angry. "I-I just did! I was there in my dreams-," he started.

"You misunderstand," Dumbledore told him. "Where in your dreams did you see this take place?"

Harry felt relief as he told him what he saw and Dumbledore sent two of the past headmasters from their pictures to find Mr. Weasley, they could hurry much faster than anyone alive. Harry looked down to see Tara had slipped her hand into his and she looked his way. "They'll find him," she whispered wanting to believe. "It will be okay."

Harry smiled a little at this. She was saying it to believe it herself and partially for his comfort. "How, Tara?" he asked. "How did you see it?"

She looked down at something on the floor for a long moment. "It's a link I don't really understand," she said quietly.

"A- link?" Harry replied.

Tara looked to him. "When I know I'll let you know."

Harry shook his head but smiled a little until word came back. Mr. Weasley had been found just as the two had said and was being taken to St. Mungos. Dumbledore had McGonagall rouse the rest of the Weasley children at Hogwarts. Dumbledore motioned to Fawkes who disappeared in a puff of fire and smoke. Harry looked curiously. "A warning," the Headmaster told him.

Ginny came in first with the twins following close behind. "Is it true?" Ginny asked grasping Harry's arm only to take Tara's hand and hold it tightly seeing her best friend was there already. "Professor McGonagall said you saw dad getting hurt…"

"Your father," Dumbledore interrupted, "has been injured." He looked to Tara who knew nothing about the Order. The McClay's had helped in fighting Voldemort the first time, but Tara's grandfather was too stubborn to allow any of his clan in the Order. "Professor Sprout, why don't you take Miss McClay back to-."

"I'd like to make sure," Tara said. "Could I go and make sure?"

"Please?" Ginny replied needing her friend there.

Dumbledore looked to the two girls. "Very well, Miss Weasley can go with you and then we'll go to St. Mungos. Hurry now."

The three left and the remainder looked to the Headmaster again. "He was hurt doing work for the Order," he told them. "We would go to headquarters but Miss McClay knows nothing about it." He looked to a picture. "Tell Mrs. Weasley, Molly to meet us there." The image nodded and left the frame.

"She's trustworthy," Harry replied and the others nodded. Outside of the meanest Slytherins everyone liked Tara.

"But her grandfather doesn't want her or anyone in his clan involved in the Order I'm afraid," Dumbledore told him.

"Why can't she decide like we did?" Ron asked as he paced the room wishing the girls would hurry faster.

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "You'd have to meet the McClay's, Mr. Weasley. Then you'd understand."

"They won't help fighting Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"They will, if there's one thing the McClay's believe in is that everyone is equal. They were some of our best allies fighting him back then," Dumbledore replied. "But where we have our ways, they have theirs." He listened and a phoenix feather appeared out of nowhere drifting to the floor. "Umbridge knows you're out of bed," he said as Ginny and Tara came back with Professor Sprout.

"Professors," he said to McGonagall and Sprout. "If you could distract her until we're off -," he said and the two left, hating Umbridge as much as the students they were happy to do so.

"Portus," he said on a kettle he drew out of thin air. "You have all used a portkey before?" he asked and they all nodded and touched it. "On the count of three," he started.

Harry looked to Dumbledore and he felt the back of his throat tense. He felt a great urge to bite him, to sink his fangs into the old man's flesh. He hated him with a passion he had never felt before… only for Voldemort. He felt the pull at his navel as the feeling left and Harry was confused as to why he felt it at all.

**oooooooooo**

"Are you feeling better now?" Jenny asked.

Willow was sitting up in her bed, her pajamas sticking to her from sweat and her awful nightmare. She nodded as she sipped on her drink. She had barely gone to bed when it hit, images of writhing along on the floor and biting a defenseless man. She must have screamed because Jenny had shaken her awake. "Thanks," Willow told her and Jenny smiled a little. They had come to an agreement that Willow would stay with her, but the teenager still wasn't completely sure she could trust her and it was felt by both of them.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jenny asked as Willow put the glass on the bedside table.

Willow nodded and Jenny reached out to pat her arm but stilled. With a sigh she got up and left the room. "Good night," she told Willow softly and shut the door. Willow lay back down and looked out the window to the night wondering where such a wild dream had come from.

**oooooooooo**

**St. Mungos**

Harry walked through the hallways of the Wizard's Medical 'hospital' in a daze. First what had happened to Mr. Weasley, second wanting to kill Dumbledore, and third just seeing this place for the first time.

It was different than anything he could of imagined, so unlike a muggle hospital. They had portkeyed to the reception area, well an area designated for portkeys. The reception area itself was crowded and not with your average bleeding something or other, or a wound some place. One witch was fanning herself with a magazine and every so often she'd go off like a tea kettle, others had things like elephant trunks sticking out of their chests, another rang like a bell and had to hold himself still as he vibrated.

Harry watched all of this as witches and wizards in lime-green robes wandered about with clipboards like Umbridge's and took notes. They all wore an emblem stitched into the robe of a wand and bone. "Are they doctors?" Harry asked Ron.

"The nutters that cut people up?" Ron replied looking at Harry like he was insane. "They're healers."

"Over here!" Mrs. Weasley called out over the noise; she had been waiting for them. Ginny ran over and hugged her mother and she reassured them that their father was getting the best care available.

They headed down to another section of the hospital on the first floor. Through the double doors the corridors were narrow and pictures of past healers lined the walls while crystal bubbles filled with candles floated on the ceiling like giant bubbles. They found their way what appeared to be the 'Serious Bites' ward. Tonks and Moody were there and Tara gave their presence an odd look.

Mrs. Weasley ushered the children in to see it was a shared room where Arthur Weasley was looking alive and quite happy.

Harry was relieved to see him and Mr. Weasley waved his wand about conjuring up enough chairs for them to sit. Apparently the snake's venom made it so that the person bit didn't stop bleeding. If it wasn't for that he could go home, but for now he was there until they found a cure.

He held Ginny with his good arm and smiled to the others. "You should see that fellow over there," he whispered to them softly and they looked to see a man who was in shock, he hadn't moved at all since they had been there. "He was bitten by a Werewolf, no cure at all," Mr. Weasley told them.

"A Werewolf!" Ginny said looking to the man again.

"Are we safe here?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Two weeks until the full moon," Mr. Weasley replied. "Sad really." He mentioned the woman in the other bed who wouldn't say what bit her but most likely it was something illegal.

"You going to tell us what happened, dad?" Fred asked.

Mr. Weasley looked to Harry and Tara and smiled. "You already know don't you?" he said. "Nodded off after a long day and got sneaked up on and bitten."

"Isn't it in the paper?" George asked looking to the Daily Prophet that was on the table by Mr. Weasley's bed.

"The Ministry wouldn't want it put in there how I got bitten by a dirty-," Mr. Weasley started.

"Arthur," Mrs. Weasley warned.

"But you were on duty-," Fred said.

"It's my business," Mr. Weasley told them. There were others in the room that didn't know of the Order. Of course that wasn't good enough for Fred and George who kept pushing until Mrs. Weasley told them she, Tonks and Moody needed to talk.

The six kids were outside when the door shut. "Wasn't that Professor Moody?" Tara asked them. "Why would he be here?"

The others looked to each other as a tall blond woman in a soft blue robe with a very commanding presence came their way. She had bright piercing blue eyes an exquisite woman unlike many of the witches Harry had seen. Tara smiled and so did Ginny. "Mom," Tara said as she went and hugged her. Even for Tara's height she was barely to her mother's shoulder.

Fred and George looked to each other in surprise. This gorgeous woman was Kathleen McClay, Tara's mother?

"Hey love," Ms. McClay said in a wonderful Irish accent, kissing the top of her child's head and smiling at Ginny who she knew from the summer. "Is your father well?" she asked Ginny.

Ginny nodded as Ron looked confused. "How did you know?" he wondered, they barely knew.

"She can actually do what Trelawney claims," Ginny said getting a hug from the blonde woman.

"No one can see that much," Ms. McClay told them as she looked to the others then to Harry and she looked him over carefully and he blushed. "Mr. Potter," she said with a smile. "It is a pleasure, Tara and Ginny talked about you all through the summer."

The two girls went red and the Weasley's laughed. The door opened and Mrs. Weasley looked out angrily at the commotion. "What's this?" she asked then saw Ms. McClay there. "Oh, Kathleen, I didn't know."

"I was here on another matter," Ms. McClay replied. "I felt my child close and came to see why."

Mrs. Weasley came out. "Arthur and I are deeply grateful to her- and Harry, they were the ones that warned the Headmaster about Arthur being bitten."

"A snake," Ms. McClay said. "One not to be spoken of, of course." She nodded to the group of children. "I would be more than happy to take them with me to Muircross; I planned to take Tara with me for the holiday anyway."

"I haven't packed, mum," Tara said softly. Kathleen made a little noise that it wasn't a problem and Tara blushed.

"I'm not sure," Mrs. Weasley said. "We had planned for them to stay in London."

"I-," Harry said quietly. "I would like to, I've never seen Ireland."

The Weasley children looked to him then to their mother, they knew where it was in London and no one wanted to stay at the house on Grimmauld. Mrs. Weasley looked to Tara's mother. "There's four of them, it's Christmas coming."

"Mum," Ginny said. "You should see their house, they have Leprechauns and everything."

"You're welcome as well and my brothers could bring the children for Christmas day here," Ms. McClay told them.

"Please mum," Ginny begged.

Fred, George and Ron looked like they wanted to go too. "Very well," Mrs. Weasley said looking to Harry. "I'm not sure about the Headmaster, Harry."

"My father will talk with him," Ms. McClay said with a smile. "I'll take Harry and Tara with me, the children should see their father."

Harry was swept up in the trail of that which was Kathleen McClay. "How many brothers?" he whispered to Tara.

"I have three uncles," Tara replied. "Tons of cousins, you'll love it Harry, you truly will."

Harry smiled, tons of people, Ron would be there. He wished Sirius could as well. Maybe he could find a way…

**oooooooooo**

**Christmas Day…**

It was so cold Harry could feel it rise up through his nose and freeze everything. Wave after wave crashed over the coast below. He was bundled up in a thick robe and scarf as it just seemed to be him and the world and nothing more. He smiled at that, not having the constant pressure of him being Harry Potter, the McClay's didn't care. He had learned a few things over the past week staying with the McClay's. No one crossed Tara's grandfather, he listened as Dumbledore insisted Harry would be better off in England and Mr. McClay replied that Harry was just fine there. Any Death Eater would know better than to step foot on the Green Isle. And that had been that.

He also learned that where Tara's grandfather was the word, the women of the family were the will. Brigit, Tara's grandmother was just as intense as Tara's mother. She said jump and you asked how high. He smiled at that too, the Weasley boys were infatuated with Tara's mother which Tara rolled her eyes at and they did everything the two older McClay women asked.

It was more interesting that Tara wasn't that forceful, she was quiet around the house but her mother and grandmother always listened to her. Harry felt a bit of sadness well up in his throat wondering if that was what his own mother would have been like to him. He missed not having a family, even more while he was there.

"Catch anything?" Hermione asked.

Harry was startled at the voice and turned to see her coming up to stand beside him, her hair waving in the wind and a heavy robe wrapped around her from the chill. "What are you doing here?" he asked happily. The Grangers and Viktor were supposed to be in Switzerland last he heard, though they had gone to see Mr. Weasley at St. Mungos before they left.

Hermione shrugged. "Dad… had an accident and Viktor brought us all home." Harry looked curious. "He broke his leg." Harry smiled then tried to wipe it away but Hermione smiled. "It's okay," she told him. "Viktor offered to heal his leg but my dad wouldn't hear of it." The Grangers believed in doing things the muggle way.

"You still really serious about him?" Harry asked as they walked back towards the large McClay house.

Hermione smiled and shrugged. "I'm halfway to seventeen, Harry." It was true, Harry turned the same age as her for about three weeks before Hermione's birthday. "I admit he's a little tense at times, but he can be funny, and he has a brain… unlike some," she finished with a little displeasure in her voice.

Harry knew who she was talking about, Ron. He was pretty sure if she had come to the house first she would have seen him drooling in Kathleen McClay's way which would solidify Hermione's judgment in finding someone instead of waiting for Ron to get his head out of his arse.

"Thanks for the present," he said getting off the subject and Hermione nodded at this.

"Who did you give that sweater too?" Hermione asked. "Cho? Not really her coloring."

Harry looked confused. "What sweater?"

Hermione stopped and looked at him like he was mental. "The ivory and green one from Gladrags," she replied.

"Who did I get it for?" Harry asked.

Hermione really gave him that look. "You don't remember?"

Harry shook his head. "You don't know?"

"You wouldn't say," Hermione said looking at him as if he were really mental. "Did you hit your head or something? You were very particular about what to get, more than the other Christmas gifts you bought."

Harry shook his head again rubbing his forehead as he tried to think. "It's there, Hermione," he told her. "I know it is, but I can't remember."

Hermione watched him letting out an agitated sigh. "I can't wait to do spells outside of school. We should talk to the Headmaster about it."

"What about the McClay's? They might be able to do something," Harry replied. It was a house full of wizards; they didn't act much like it though. Brigit believed a wand wasn't a use for everything.

Hermione looked to the house. "Maybe…"

"It couldn't hurt," Harry said running down to the house with Hermione not far behind. Kathleen McClay stepped out wrapping a robe about her against the cold. "Ms. McClay," he said coming to a stop. "I need to ask…"

She smiled to him and Hermione and put up a hand to still his comment. "I know what you want, Harry," she replied. "Or part of anyway. You need to speak with your Headmaster about it."

"Does it just come?" Hermione asked knowing the woman had 'seen' what they wanted. "Tara can a little."

"Tara has many years before her visions are fully developed," she replied. "Come inside, you can talk with your Headmaster by the fire," Ms. McClay said putting a hand on Harry's back leading him and Hermione inside.

**oooooooooo**

**Christmas many miles away…**

"Are you sure about this Will?" Buffy asked sitting by the Christmas tree at the Summer's home.

Willow nodded from where she sat next to her looking to her new pair of shoes Buffy got her. Xander was lying on the floor stuffed with Christmas dinner they had just eaten. Jenny and Giles were there as well in the kitchen talking with Buffy's mom about boring adult stuff and the house was full of Christmas music and the smell of cinnamon pinecones.

"You grew up Jewish, Will," Xander said rolling onto his side. "Stomach hurts," he got out, "but good," he said painfully as he touched his abdomen.

"But I'm not really am I?" Willow replied to her friends. "Angel says I don't really even classify as human."

Xander made a noise at that. "You're human, you bleed."

"Vampires bleed if you don't kill them," Buffy replied, apparently she wasn't classified as human either. She was a mythical icon. Which she thought was cool in a wiggy way.

Cordelia came out of the kitchen and headed their way, she had come for dinner and surprisingly she had been polite. Oz had been offered but his family had a big gathering which made Willow feel better. Ever since the whole evil Willow incident at the Bronze they had been off track in the boyfriend/girlfriend area. Buffy and Willow watched her, waiting for the damn to break and the nasty remarks to return so far they hadn't. Xander was happy so they didn't say anything. "What are you talking about?" she asked as she sat down on the couch.

"Non human classifications," Xander replied as he saw her small bowl of caramel corn and he reached his hand out for it only to have it get smacked.

"You ate enough for a family of elephants," Cordelia said to him. "Anymore and you'll explode."

Buffy and Willow tried to hide smiles at this, that was a normal condescending Cordelia remark. Xander looked crushed but didn't say anything as he lay back down but he was still eyeing the bowl. "I don't see you going Christian, Will," he told his friend ignoring Cordelia's comment.

"I was thinking more like Pagan," Willow told them. Her friends looked at her oddly and she shrugged. "They worship nature and the elements, most Wiccan are a form of Pagan. Jenny has some good books on it."

"You still mad at her?" Buffy asked quietly.

Cordelia looked confused. Willow shrugged. "Not really," the redhead admitted. "She didn't know what her uncle or her family had done."

"She kept secrets," Buffy replied seriously.

"We all have," Willow defended her guardian a little. "I think to myself what would I have done… and then I realized I pretty much did the same thing."

They looked to each other and knew they had kept secrets from each other and that hadn't turned out very well. "Like I know what's going on," Cordelia said annoyed. "But if you're Pagan now, why are you celebrating Christmas?"

"Because we are," Buffy said hugging Willow.

"And there's the Winter Solstice," Willow informed the brunette. "It was a few days ago."

"Good enough," Xander said getting up. "I want some popcorn!" He headed for the kitchen.

"I thought he was just a slob around me," Cordelia said shaking her head. "I was wrong."

Willow frowned. "He's not a slob," she said. Cordelia looked her way and Willow's frown turned to a pout. "Not a bad slob."

"Who wants some eggnog?" Buffy said getting up wanting to avoid any unhappiness, at least for today.

Willow watched her go and she looked to the tree ignoring Cordelia, she wondered where Harry was. She smiled at that thought, her brother… Harry.

**oooooooooo**

**January**

Willow closed her eyes wincing as Buffy took another sharp turn around the corner as they headed for school. She held onto the bar above the door and her seat belt hoping to stay upright.

"Buffy, twenty five isn't a suggested speed limit," Joyce said tightly from the passenger seat where she held onto the handle above the door as well.

Buffy would be sixteen in a week and she was practicing for her drivers license. "Twenty five just seems too slow, you know?" Buffy replied as she took another corner like a true pro. Willow looked out the back window of the Summer's Jeep Cherokee to see four wide lines of black from the tires left on the pavement.

Joyce looked to her daughter who was truly concentrating as they pulled up to the school. The older woman didn't release the tension in her body until Buffy had put the jeep into park. "Okay, I think you need to work with your driving instructor, honey," Joyce told her as she unbuckled her seat belt.

Buffy returned the look with annoyance as she got out herself. She looked into the back seat to see Willow holding on tight with her eyes closed. "We're here," she told her friend.

Willow opened her eyes and looked around to see they weren't moving anymore. "Oh good," she said as she got out.

The two waved to Joyce as she left for work. Buffy looked to Willow as they went up the steps to the high school. "I wasn't that bad, was I?" she asked. Willow gave her a worried look that she might offend her and Buffy let out a disappointed sigh. "Great, I'm never going to get my license."

"Learner's permit is almost just as good," Willow replied.

"That's not the same, I don't want to have one forever," Buffy told her as they spotted Xander headed their way.

Willow waved to Xander then looked Buffy's way, the blond was silent. "You can still drive."

Buffy didn't look amused. "Sixteen is a full license, not a learner's permit, Will."

"What about a permit?" Xander asked. "A permit to party?" He wiggled his eyebrows as they went inside. "Buff's birthday bash in a week, it's gonna be awesome right?"

"Not without my license," Buffy told him frowning as she headed for the vending machine area. "I need something for my sorrow." She looked in through the glass to the options available to her.

"You are seeing Angel though," Willow said quietly. "That's a plus isn't it?"

Buffy made a pitiful noise. "Maybe something diet-y for sorrow," she amended.

Xander had been digging through his pockets for change when he heard this and he looked suspiciously at the two of them. "Dead boy?"

Willow glared at him as she patted Buffy's back. "You're not helping," she muttered to him quietly in a sing song voice.

"On her birthday?" Xander dug in, not letting the topic go. "Isn't there some rule about vampires not being allowed to see vampire HUNTERS on their birthday?"

Willow smacked his arm as Buffy pressed her forehead against the glass on the machine. "I hate my life," Buffy replied.

"No, no hating," Willow said dragging Buffy along towards their lockers. She glared at Xander who gave her a sullen look back, his attention shifted making Willow look. There was Cordelia and her group of toadies. Willow let out a frustrated breath, with Buffy and Xander swerving back and forth between things like significant others, friendships, parents… Willow felt like she was the only sane one left in her group of friends, she couldn't wait for Buffy's birthday to come.

**oooooooooo**

**Grimmauld Place…**

Harry lay back on the bed he used there. He missed the comfort of Muircross and the McClay's, but after three weeks Mrs. Weasley had insisted they leave the McClay's to their own family time and they had come back to London for the last few days of holiday before they had to return to school on Monday. Sirius was happy to see them and they celebrated the holiday with him. He glanced over when there was a knock at his door.

"Harry?" Mrs. Weasley called out. "Professor Snape wants to see you downstairs."

Harry's brow furrowed at this. Snape? What in the world did he want? Pulling himself up Harry came down the stairs. Ron and Fred were playing chess in the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was back working on dinner. Charlie and Bill were coming and then they'd all head off for St. Mungo's again.

He looked into the sitting room to see Snape and Sirius sitting across from each other, neither of them looking amused. "Sit Potter," Snape got out.

Harry came in and took the seat closest to Sirius. "You know," Sirius said getting a smirk on his face. "I would prefer it if you didn't give the orders here Snape, it is my house and all."

Snape went pale and sick looking as if something had turned more rotten than before. "I was supposed to see you alone Potter-," Snape said.

"It is my house," Sirius interrupted.

"Dumbledore said-," Snape tried again.

"I am his godfather," Sirius interjected this time.

"I'm here," Snape spat out, "at Dumbledore's request!" He and Sirius watched each other for a long moment. "But stay if you wish, I'm sure you must try to feel useful in some way."

Sirius frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" he said angrily.

Snape got a look of pleasure. "Being here, hiding out, you aren't at all useful to the order." Sirius flushed at this and Snape smirked in triumph and he looked to Harry. "The Headmaster has sent me to tell you that is it his wish for you to study Occlumency this term."

"Study what?" Harry asked.

Snape's smirk became more pronounced. "Occlumency is the magical defense against external penetration. An obscure branch of magic, but a highly useful one."

Harry felt his heart pound, was he being possessed? They had all come to an agreement he wasn't. "Why do I have to study this Occl- thing?"

"Because the Headmaster decided it was a good idea," Snape told him. "You'll study once a week and you will tell no one least of all Dolores Umbridge."

"Who's going to teach me?" Harry asked. Snape's smile went wicked and he felt his stomach turn. What on earth had he done to deserve this? "Why you?"

"Why can't Dumbledore teach him?" Sirius asked.

"I suppose it is the Headmaster's privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks," Snape said standing up. "I assure you, I did not beg for the job. I will expect you at six o'clock Monday evening, Potter. Be at my office, if anyone asks you've come from remedial Potions and seeing how you've done recently no one will think the wiser for it." He headed out.

"Wait a minute," Sirius said standing up.

Harry stood as well. The two adults started to exchange insults to where Harry had to put himself in front of Sirius, it was bad enough he had more time with Snape, but he would make life hell for him if Sirius pushed him.

"Cured!" Mr. Weasley said coming out of the kitchen with the rest of his family behind him. He was still in his striped pajamas but no bandages on him. Everyone stopped and looked to the two wizards with their wands out looking like they were ready to duel and Harry hanging onto Sirius's arm to get him to stop. "What's going on?" Mr. Weasley asked.

**oooooooooo**

**A week later…**

Xander skipped along beside Willow, both of them with presents for Buffy's party. "Party, party… cake and a party," he sang happily to some unknown tune.

Willow smiled at him. "What's with the ultra happy-ness?" she asked.

Xander turned to face her by walking backward. "I got Buffy the coolest present AND my parents and extended family won't be there AND Buffy will be able to drive," he told her.

Willow shook her head. "She just got her learner's, Xander. We still have to go with an adult."

"Giles is an adult," he told her as he skipped backward then forward and turned to walk beside her. "She can drive his car."

"You think he will?" she asked.

"She's the slayer right?" he said looking her way. "She can beat him up for it… or an arm wrestle, she'd win you know." Willow laughed at this as they headed up the street for Buffy's house. "Look, Buff and her mom out front," Xander said going to move ahead.

"Not with the good," Willow said seeing that it wasn't happy, celebration talking. The two Summer's women were to the side of the car and Joyce was pointing at her talking forcefully, the tension in their bodies tight.

Willow grabbed Xander's arm and he stopped, he had seen this many times with his parents. They moved a little closer to hear them. "…I just don't know what's gotten into you Buffy. I thought this had changed when we came to Sunnydale and now you're off with older men and you took my car without asking."

"It wasn't like tha-," Buffy tried to interject.

Joyce sighed out frustration. "I know you're only sixteen, and it's your birthday. But you need to remember that you ARE ONLY SIXTEEN," she said seriously. "You do things my way until you're older or I'm going to pull a lot of privileges young lady." Joyce gave a resigned sigh this time. "Get inside and get ready, your friends will be here in a minute."

Buffy sullenly went inside and Xander and Willow looked to each other. "I think happy cake might be out," Xander said softly.

"I think happy anything might be out," Willow replied. "You know we're going to have to go in," she informed him.

"I can do happy, I've had practice with my family," Xander told her and they headed up the driveway.

"I'm not good with the lying," Willow said quietly.

"I'll lie for both of us Will," Xander replied as they went up the steps onto the porch. He rang the doorbell. "Just smile."

Willow pasted on a fake smile as Joyce answered the door. "Hey kids," she said with a forced smile as phony as theirs. "Come on in, Buffy's up in her room."

Willow followed Xander up the stairs. He knocked and Willow looked nervous. "You aren't in trouble Will," Xander told her.

"I feel like I am," Willow replied. She and her parents never fought, being angry at Jenny made her tummy feel ill.

"It's open," Buffy told them. The two went on in and there was Buffy laying on her bed like she just fell on it in exhaustion, one arm was over her eyes. She still had her jacket on. "You hear?" she asked not even looking at them.

"Yeah," Xander said coming over to look at her as Willow shut the door.

"Welcome to the best birthday ever," Buffy said sarcastically as she raised a hand from her bed. "What's next? Vampire swarm? Evil demon bunnies from Canada? Maybe they're closing the mall… make this day better."

Willow sat down on one side of the bed. "We brought presents," she offered.

"Evil presents?" Buffy asked.

"If you want them to be," Xander replied. "Wouldn't want to ruin your fun day and all."

Buffy groaned as she took her arm from her eyes. "Sorry."

"No, it's your birthday Buffy," Willow replied. "You should be having fun, not all sadness." The two looked at each other. "What happened?" she asked.

Buffy sat up. "Angel took me out to dinner last night," she said with a little smile. "It was amazing. Candles, romantic music, dinner…"

Willow and Xander waited for a minute. "And?" Xander asked.

Buffy looked to them. "Let's just say I woke up not here in the morning."

Willow looked confused for a moment as Xander went pale, his eyes hardened. Willow's eyes opened up as she covered her mouth. "You didn't!" she said. Buffy nodded with a bigger smile.

"You did it with a corpse," Xander said loudly.

"You mind?" Buffy said glaring at him. "The whole of California didn't hear."

"You slept with Angel?" Willow asked wanting to make certain.

"He's dead!" Xander said just as loud as before.

"We know Xander," Buffy replied.

"How was it?" Willow asked curiously and excited for her friend knowing how much the blond was in love with the vampire.

"Amazing," Buffy started. "First -,"

"La, la, la, la, la," Xander said covering his ears as he turned away from them.

Willow and Buffy smiled at each other. "Anyway, I woke up and he wasn't there."

Willow blinked at his. "Is that normal?" Willow asked, Buffy gave her a look and Willow blushed. "Of course not. Why would anyone leave after that?" Willow told herself frowning at the thought. "Why did he leave?"

Buffy shrugged, they both noticed Xander was listening. "But he was gone and it was daylight. I borrowed mom's car to look for him."

"Hence the trouble in the now," Willow said seriously with a sad look for her friend. Jenny let her practice in her Mustang, but on her own, Willow had never been grounded, but she had a feeling Jenny would do it. "How long's your mom going to be mad for?"

"Probably a week," Buffy said as she got up and went to her closet. "Maybe less since it is my birthday."

"Pizza's here Buffy!" Joyce called from downstairs.

"Pizza's a good sign," Xander said quietly.

"She wouldn't of if it was just us, not this mad," Buffy told him. "Go on down, I'll be there in a minute."

Willow and Xander left her room and the two looked to each other. "I can't believe she slept with him," he whispered.

"I still can't believe you slept with Cordelia," Willow replied back giving him a look to let it go.

He did.

**oooooooooo**

Spike looked out the window in the warehouse disgusted at the view. He had been stuck in his wheelchair for over two months now; his bloody legs just didn't work. Drusilla had taken over the core group of vampires in Sunnydale. The bleach blond felt like a bloody useless rotter. His back was a mess and vampires didn't really heal what with having dead tissue and all.

He found a packet of cigarettes in his jacket and took one out. His life was messed up. Dru had come back from looking for the redheaded witch babbling on about evil girls and naughty thoughts. Part of her sounded interested but angry, she never went looking for her after that and it had been some time. Trust Dru to love to hate something.

Spike let out a snort of smoke at that thought. Nowadays Dru was talking about someone coming home. Whatever the bleeding hell that meant. He took another drag on his cigarette and let out the smoke.

"This what you do all day now Spike?" he heard from behind him.

Spike sat up straighter in his wheelchair. "Didn't think you'd be so daft as to come here Angel," he replied.

He heard a laugh he hadn't in a very long time. An evil laugh, a mean laugh… a cruel laugh only one man could bring out. He turned to look behind him and he saw it in the brown eyes watching him, they were very different than the ones he had seen previously in Sunnydale. "Angelus," he said with a smile.

Angelus smirked. "So I am."

"You get rid of that nasty little curse then?" Spike asked drawing on his cigarette again.

Angelus came out into the light. "Yeah, I have a slayer who I really need to repay for her kindness in helping me."

Spike chuckled as Drusilla came up to them. Spike smiled at his love but she passed him and clung on to Angelus. "Did you see Spike?" Drusilla said. "Daddy's come home."

Angelus kissed her just like Spike did. "Yeah, Spike," Angelus said darkly to him when he let Drusilla's lips go. "Daddy's come home." Spike glared back and Angelus laughed at him as he put an arm about Drusilla. "Let's go see where daddy can stay at." Drusilla clapped happily as the two vampires left.

"Bloody hell," Spike got out as he threw his cigarette away and glared after the two.

**oooooooooo**

**End of January… Hogwarts**

Harry found his way to the library after an intense occlumency lesson with Snape. His head felt like it was on fire, not to mention the pain. His scar ached and it felt like he had a fever.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked worriedly as he sat down between her and Ron at a table in the midst of what looked like the entire fifth-year class.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said taking in a breath. He winced in pain again as he rubbed at his scar. "I dunno," he got out. "Listen… I've come to realize something…" he started and told them about his flashbacks, where Mr. Weasley had been outside the Department of Mysteries, it was located in the Ministry of Magic, he had seen the door to it when he was taken to his trial for using magic outside of school.

"You're saying this thing, this weapon; whatever it is that you-know-who is after is there in the Department of Mysteries?" Ron said.

"It's got to be," Harry whispered to him. "It was the same place I saw your dad guarding when the snake bit him.

They talked about it, where Sturgis Podmore had been trying to get in and the wizards that worked there were called the 'Unspeakables'.

"No one seems to know what they do," Ron finished as he took that for granted with a shrug. "Weird place to have a weapon."

"It's not weird at all," Hermione said as she finished her homework and closed her book leaning forward to be heard. "Something top secret that the Ministry has been developing…," she stopped when Harry paled even more. "Are you sure you're all right."

Harry shook his head. "I think I'll lie down," he told her as he collected up his stuff; he hadn't taken much out of his bag considering how he felt. "I saw a girl, Hermione," he told her but looked to Ron too, they had been trying to figure his mystery sweater but Dumbledore had always avoided the subject and Tara's mother would smile and tell them that all things work out in time. That was frustrating to say the least. "She had red hair."

Ron shrugged as he chewed on his quill avoiding his school work. "Ginny," he told him.

Harry shook his head. "It was a girl in my memories, one I'd never seen before and a picture…" he left it at that as his friends looked his way.

"What of?" Hermione asked.

"A baby," Harry said vaguely trying to remember rubbing his forehead again. "I don't like occlumency all that much."

"Who would like getting their mind attacked over and over again," Hermione replied as Harry stood and she stood with him collecting her things. "Let's go back to the common room, maybe you'll feel better there."

Ron collected his stuff as well and found that the Gryffindor common room was even more active. Fred and George were in the middle of demonstrating their latest wizarding gadget. "Headless hats!" George exclaimed.

Harry winced at the noise as Fred put a pink pointed hat on and he stood for a few seconds then his head and the hat both disappeared. A few girls screamed but most of the Gryffindors applauded and laughed.

"And off again!" George said and Fred's head and the hat reappeared.

"How do those work then?" Hermione asked herself as her brow furrowed. "I mean, they ob-," she started as Harry headed for the stairs to the boys dormitory. He couldn't even see straight it hurt so bad.

He was halfway up the stairs when his head exploded with pain. Someone was happy, laughing, he realized he was laughing too as he slumped against the stone wall. It was a wild laughter he didn't even recognize and it stopped when he figured out it was him.

"Harry?" Ron said shaking him. Harry looked up to his friend. "Hermione said to come check on you. What happened?"

"I dunno," Harry got out as Ron helped him up. He realized what was going on. "He's happy," he said with dread. "Really, really happy." He looked to Ron. "Something good has happened for… you-know-who. Something he's been hoping for."

He found out the next morning at breakfast. Hermione yelped at the sight of the front page of her Daily Prophet. On it were the photos of ten escaped prisoners from Azkaban, all of them death eaters. Harry now understood Voldemort's joy. He looked to the head table and still Dumbledore was no where to be found.

**oooooooooo**

**First of February…**

"How was I supposed to know it would do that Giles?" Buffy asked as they came into the library from a late night hunt. "The thing was beyond gross." She and a sword she was carrying were dripping with blue goo and Giles was spattered with it. "Why couldn't Wills come with us?"

"She and Jenny are working on her control," Giles told her. They both knew the large part was because of the evil essence Willow had taken in twice, once from trying to stop the Hellmouth from opening and the other in stopping her 'bad' self from taking the dark essence in to kill the three of them almost two months ago. Willow had been worried about doing magic. Jenny had taken the redhead by the collar and forced her begin her practice again.

"I'm going to invest in a pair of overalls then, because how am I going to get this out?" Buffy demanded as Giles turned on the light. They looked up to see five men and two women at the main table and surrounding chairs. All of them looked ancient to Buffy, so the youngest was probably thirty. Buffy's sword was up upon seeing them. "If you spray goo you're going to be in deep s-," she started only to have Giles touch her arm.

"They aren't evil Buffy," Giles replied as he came forward. "Quentin."

The oldest man there stood up. He was distinguished and dressed in Giles's fashion… stuffy. "Rupert," he replied in the same English accent.

"Two of you, how fun," Buffy said tersely as she went to lay her goo covered stuff on the counter.

"Ah," Giles replied.

Buffy scowled at him and went to the book cage where Giles had a bucket just for that. "I see you've been out," Quentin said.

"That is what a slayer does I believe," Giles replied pushing his glasses up carefully with the only non-gooed area on his hand. "What brings the council to Sunnydale?"

Buffy looked up at that, her gaze went to Giles then to the others. "This is the council?" she asked coming out of the cage area. "The watcher's council."

"I am the head of it, yes," Quentin replied. "Quentin Travers," he told her holding out his hand then looked to her goo covered body and pulled it back. "Maybe later. You are Buffy Summers."

"So I am," Buffy said as she leaned against the card catalog cabinet. "What brings you to Sunnydale? Actually gonna help with you know… fighting evil and all?"

"Buffy," Giles said firmly. "Go and clean up." Buffy looked un-amused but left. Giles looked back to the group. "What do you want Quentin?"

Buffy didn't hear anymore as she headed for the girls restroom. Life had just gotten suckier and suckier since her birthday. Angel was no where to be seen, she and her mother were so not getting along. Xander was mad at her for sleeping with Angel. Willow was the only one she could turn to.

She slammed into the restroom and turned the water on and began to scrub at the drying goo on her hands. She tensed up just feeling the build of anger in her and she lashed out driving her fist into the mirror on the wall cracking it and the wall behind it in a great display of power. "That was good and bad," she said to her self as she winced looking at her hand. "Ow."

'_Buffy?'_ Willow asked.

Buffy stood still as her eyes looked to either side of her. "Will?" she asked back. The voice sounded like it was in her head, not outside, and she sounded scared. Buffy went a little pale underneath the goo, Willow might be a ghost, which meant the redhead would have to be dead.

'_Buffy you need to come to my house… bring Giles… hurry,'_ Willow said.

Buffy turned really quick to look behind her, there was no one there in the bathroom. "Will? Where are you?"

'_Do you think it worked?'_ Willow spoke this time like it was to someone else. _'End the spell? Oh, yeah-,'_ her voice was gone.

Buffy shook her head and hurried out of the bathroom and back to the library. "Listen, Giles," she started only to see Giles was by himself sitting at the table with his head in one hand. "Giles?"

Giles looked up at her seeing her still covered in goo. "You didn't get very far."

"Willow- uh, she got in touch with me," Buffy told him. "We need to go to her house." She headed for the door and looked back to see he was still there. "Now."

Giles nodded and got up looking older than she had seen him in a long time. "What's the matter with her?" he asked.

"Don't know," Buffy said as they went down the hall for the exit. "But if she's reaching out to touch me inside my head, it's got to be something major."

"What?" Giles asked as they left the building.

Giles pulled up in front of Jenny's and there Jenny stood outside on the porch with a rifle and a stake. "Jenny?" he asked as he and Buffy hurried up the front steps only to see a body on the ground.

"It's not Willow," Buffy said thankfully.

"She's inside resting," Jenny said looking at Buffy's dried goo covering.

Buffy looked at the corpse as Giles crouched down by it. "He's been bitten," Giles told them.

"It's one of your classmates," Jenny said. She was very pale and she looked scared, but more than that, she looked pissed. "Jonathan… Levinson, Willow knew him."

Buffy shook her head, she didn't know him. "Did you come home and find him?"

Jenny shook her head at that. "No, it- he, he was left for us as a nice calling card."

"You were here?" Giles said standing up looking Jenny over.

"We're fine," Jenny said. "He's going to turn isn't he?"

Buffy looked to Jonathan's body and nodded, she could feel the demon inside him, by the next evening he should arise as a vampire. "I'll take care of him."

"You… we need to talk with Willow first," Jenny said pulling a cover over the body.

Buffy and Giles looked confused as they went inside. Willow sat curled up on the couch looking out the window with a cup in her hand. "Will?" Buffy said coming to sit by her.

Willow's hands trembled as Buffy took the cup and set it down. She was more surprised as Willow latched onto her, goo and all, as the tears came. "We didn't listen, we didn't listen," she cried into Buffy's neck.

Giles looked to Jenny who was looking stolid, as if she was trying to get something out of her mind. "What's going on?" he asked.

"It was Angel," Jenny said. "Or should I say, Angelus." She looked Buffy's way and the slayer paled.

"How?" Buffy asked.

Jenny sat down and rested her face in her hands rubbing it for a moment then looking back up at her. "I know you were angry with me about my family and my uncle being here," she said to Buffy. "But I warned you, I- I tried to make you listen-," she stopped.

"One moment of true happiness," Giles got out looking Buffy's way. "All the curse needed was one true moment of happiness and Angelus would return."

Willow raised herself up wiping away her tears. "I didn't think about it… about what you said about your birthday. It's all my fault."

"No," Buffy replied standing up. "This is my fault." She looked to Jenny as she said it. "I didn't listen," she admitted to her. Her jaw tensed. "I'm a big girl now, I can take it. Lay it all on me." She headed for the door and Giles grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

Buffy shook him off glaring at him. "I'm the problem fixer remember? Big bad comes to town and you all watch." She left slamming the door behind her respectfully walking around the body she jumped the hedges and headed off into the night.

"Will he try to kill her?" Willow asked quietly. She knew Angel, kind, sweet, quiet. Angelus she had read about, the golden child of the vampires. One of the most evil and wicked there was.

"Not for a while," Giles replied as he sat back down. "Angel- he likes to toy with his victims. Make them hurt emotionally, mentally."

"He tried to lure Willow outside," Jenny said.

Giles looked to Willow who was now looking at the encrusted blue goo clinging to her bathrobe and hands. "You're her best friend, even over Xander. If he could leave you like your friend there-," he stopped seeing Willow looking up at him and actually go white. "It is true then, Angelus is back."

**oooooooooo**

"THE Council?" Willow asked as she sat with Buffy, Jenny and Xander at the library the next morning. She was tired and still pale, now she learned that 'the council' was here. "You mean THE COUNCIL?"

"The watcher's council, yes, Willow, it is them," Giles replied shaking his head, he looked as tired as her. "They aren't happy, Buffy," he told her as he took off his glasses and looked worried as he had the night before.

"What's not happy?" Buffy asked quietly, she had stayed out all night searching for a hint of Angelus and had another argument with her mom that morning. "I slay, I fight, they sit and do nada. It's not like this is more important that our current problem."

"True," Willow replied. She had more fighting experience than the watcher's council did, at least to her mind she did.

"What do they want Rupert?" Jenny asked.

Giles shook his head. "They don't understand, in the field its so much more than reading diaries or- or delving into ancient books."

"What do they want G-man?" Xander repeated.

"Do not call me- G-man," Giles told him in abhorrence. "They aren't happy with how I've been training you," he said to Buffy seriously.

"Like you have a choice?" Buffy said and Willow snorted in agreement. Buffy was her own person, even her mother had a hard time controlling her.

Giles closed his eyes and let out a sigh as he sat down. "You don't understand the power that the council has," he started, "they are old and powerful and they will do anything to make sure the slayer is under their control."

"Sounds like a vampire if you ask me," Xander said.

"I assure you, we are not," Quentin said as he came in with his group. He looked them. "These are the others that were reported back to me?" he asked Giles.

"Yes- yes," Giles said standing up; he put his glasses on nervously. "This is Jennifer Calendar, a teacher here as well as a technopagan."

"And your- girlfriend," Quentin replied to that as he took Giles's seat looking to the group across from him, his entourage was behind him all with the same look of superiority and Buffy looked like she wanted to smack it off them.

"She did help with the demon Moloch," Willow said softly.

"Our thanks as always, though –techno-pagan as you call it, or not, she is a civilian in watcher council matters, as are you young lady," he told her.

"She is not," Xander said getting a little mad. The man was rude. "She's a-, ow!" He grunted in pain as Buffy kicked his leg hard. "She's a- a straight A student."

"You are so not helping, Xander," Buffy muttered to him.

"Kicking doesn't help," he said back between his clenched teeth.

"Yes, we know about all that," Quentin said holding out his hand and papers were put into it from one of his minions.

"You do?" Giles said in shock.

"Of course, Ms. Rosenberg's parents left her last year and Ms. Calendar has taken her in with foster care."

Jenny and Giles looked at each other. "Of course," Jenny said to that.

"I don't get it," Xander said quietly to Buffy.

"Ixnay on the itchyway," she replied.

The council representatives looked their way. "Whenever you are finished Ms. Summers," Quentin continued. "I am here to do a review, which means only slayer and watcher need be present. I can hardly add that the rest of you shouldn't even be here at all."

"My town, my slaying, my rules buddy," Buffy said.

"Buffy," Giles said quietly.

"No," Buffy replied standing up looking at Quentin and his cronies. "Who the hell do you think you are coming into town… America even, with your stuffy tweed and snooty looks-," she said loudly as she let off all the steam that had been building up over the past few weeks.

"Snooty… that's good," Willow said quietly but encouragingly. Buffy gave her a little smile, the support was always nice.

"We train the chosen one to defend the world against-," Quentin said.

"The vampires and things that go bump in the night, blah, blah," Buffy finished for him. "Heard it, done it, lived it." She folded her arms glaring at them. "Where were you, most holier than thou, when the Master came? That nice little prophesy about my death? Did you come running to help?" She stopped with a sarcastic look. "Oh wait, I'm not even the current slayer anymore because I did die and the new slayer where is she? She's off somewhere else doing your dirty work and you're telling me you want _me_ to sacrifice myself some more just so you can sit behind your stuffy old desk and drink your English tea and say 'pip, pip we have saved the world again, look at how brilliant we are'," she told them the latter part in a horrible English accent.

"She's taking after you Will," Xander said quietly as the adults digested her long rant.

"I'm outta here," Buffy said to all of them and just walked out.

They all watched her go; she hadn't even made it to the door when Willow and Xander scrambled after her. "I feel like we're in West Side Story," Willow told Xander as they hurried out. "I think we're the Sharks."

"That's not a documentary is it?" he asked as the door closed behind them and the adults were left.

Quentin lined up the sheets of paper in front of him. "This is the training you've given her?" he asked.

"It is true, she isn't the current slayer anymore," Giles replied.

"She's the most experienced one, even with the other slayer's training," Quentin said. "This is a rare opportunity to have two slayers. We can't pass it up."

Giles shook his head. "You don't understand, Quentin. She survives because she's a wild card, because of her friends."

"And yours?" Quentin replied looking to Jenny.

Giles glared at him. "I've given you my life," he said with a quiet respect but it was firm. "I've found someone and I won't apologize for it."

"Maybe we should discuss this alone, Rupert," Quentin replied.

Jenny stood up. "That's alright, school's about to start anyway." She smiled to Giles and left.

Quentin looked to Giles as the door closed and a council person went to stand outside it. "Sit, Giles. We have much to discuss," he told him.

**oooooooooo**

**That Night at the Bronze…**

"What do you think is going to happen?" Xander asked looking around.

Cordelia was supposed to be coming along soon. He was looking for the perfect valentine's day gift but hadn't asked either of his friends to help yet. Buffy and Angel were… well, not together anymore. And Willow and Oz, nothing was happening there, it was like rare occurrences when the two were together, usually by Oz's doing. He glanced up at the stage again where the Dingoes were getting ready for their first set. Oz watched Willow, Xander could tell he was in love with her. He noticed a rocker chick hanging out by the stage watching Oz then looking to his object of desire… Willow, rocker chick didn't look too happy about it. Willow on the other hand avoided looking at the stage altogether. Sometimes he couldn't figure his friend out.

"Considering the stuffed shirts over in the corner trying to look inconspicuous I'd say they're going to mess my life up more somehow," Buffy said as she took a swallow of her drink nodding to the two council members 'discreetly' watching them. They looked so out of place there in britishwear as Buffy liked to call it.

The two looked to Willow who was stirring her drink but not actually drinking it. "Will? Thoughts? Comments? Questions?" Xander asked.

"We need to keep the Angel thing quiet," Willow told them. "But we should be scared about it too."

Buffy nodded. "Councilly knowledge about Angel would be very bad."

"What about Will's witchy magic?" Xander asked. He had gotten over Buffy's 'fling', sort of, but learning about Jonathan he had to sympathize with his blond friend. Her life really was getting more difficult. All of theirs would be with Angelus on the loose.

"You up to the casting?" Buffy asked Willow.

Willow looked a little tense but nodded. "I think I'm ready," she said. Buffy looked at her seriously and Willow nodded faster. "I'm ready. What am I being ready for?"

"We're going out on patrol," Buffy said as she finished her drink.

"Is that safe?" Xander asked looking around for Cordelia now, if they left she was going to be really, really pissed. School had started sure, but they had yet to visit a closet upon returning.

"No, when is it?" Buffy replied as she stood. "Angel wants me, I'm going to be out there where he can find me and then we'll have it out."

Willow and Xander looked her way. "Have it out?" Xander asked. "Is that code for make out or stake him?" Buffy glared at him but he held his ground.

"Jenny's been looking, but she hasn't found the original spell that cursed him," Willow told Buffy interrupting what could turn into an argument, knowing the blond would want the real Angel back. "You- you may have to-," she didn't finish.

"If I have to I will, but I want to see it for myself," Buffy said heading for the door. "I want to see if it's really him."

Willow and Xander followed with looks of apprehension on their faces. "It's not Angel, believe me," Willow replied with a shudder.

Angel had called to her last night out on the front lawn. She came to the doorway but Jenny had stopped her as Angel asked for help. She saw the dead body in Angel's hand slumped on the ground. She shook her head remembering the sound of his laugh. Jenny had respelled the house to keep Angel out after Willow said she had invited him in before and Angelus had left angry.

"I'm surprised Jenny let you come out," Xander said they followed Buffy out of the Bronze. Cordelia wasn't there. He gave up looking for her.

"She wasn't going to," Willow replied as the three of them walked together along the alleyway out to the main street. "But she figured you'd need some help patrolling considering who's in town."

"You mean friends," Buffy replied with a glad little smile as she slid her arm into Willow's. She could tell the two watchers were following, so be it.

"And we're going to a wiccan sabbat in two days, so… you know, not here for a few days," Willow told them.

"How are you going to get around school?" Buffy asked. Xander snorted a laugh quiet and Buffy looked to Willow's grin. "How far ahead are you in school anyway?"

"I heard those Wicca things are done naked," Xander replied.

Buffy and Willow looked his way. "No!" Willow said a little embarrassed. "Why would they do that?"

"Sex magic," Xander said floating his fingers in front of her face like he was doing a magic spell on her. "I hear they're gonna do a 'witches gone wild' video."

"Stop scaring her, Xander," Buffy said as he moved to Buffy's side seeing the scowl on Willow's face. She looked to Willow. "Do they do it naked?" she asked curiously and Xander laughed.

"I hope not or we're going home," Willow replied as she held the top of her blouse closed up to her neck just to be safe. Her two friends chuckled at that.

"Do they pick that because of the full moon?" Buffy asked letting up on the teasing, she began to notice over the past year when the full moon was starting to come, people got weirder around that time.

Willow shook her head. "Full moon starts a few days later. It's more the time of the year."

"So you like being Pagan, Will?" Xander asked as they headed towards the cemeteries.

"It's okay, I think this sabbat will be an induction into it," she replied. The two friends smiled. Willow told herself that when she got home she was going to ask Jenny specifically about the wearing of clothes at this gathering.

"There's something moving down in that section over there," Buffy told them as she slipped out a stake and tucked it up her sleeve. "You know what to do, right?"

"Stay back and let you do the fighting unless we don't have any other choice," Xander replied in a monotone way. They all knew it wouldn't happen, but it was nice to go through the motions.

Buffy headed at a quick but quiet clip through the headstones and trees to where there was a knot of figures together. Willow followed as Xander found a tree limb that was good enough for a club.

Willow found a good spot to watch and wait, she was ready… she knew she was ready. No nasty bad dark stuff would come out. She glanced over as Xander came up by her and she prayed to the goddess she was ready.

They saw four vampires and a victim they were crowded around looked pretty dead. Buffy flipped up over a headstone going into a crescent kick she took one vampire in the head making the others look her way.

"Nice start," Xander said quietly. The fighting got heavy as Buffy blocked an arm and came up under it with her stake and took one out easy. She must have said something but it sounded like mumbling and the three remaining vampires looked wary. "I always miss the good quips," he told his friend.

Buffy began to take the other three on when noise could be heard coming through the brush. Three more vampires came out headed for the others and the slayer. Xander and Willow were up at that. Xander ran for the last one as Willow took in a breath and centered herself.

"Sol solis lux lucis!" she called out and raised her hand in the air. A ball sunlight so bright streamed from her hand into the dark sky lighting it up, it blinded everyone. The vampires cowered and some even began to smoke as the magic went wild making Willow hold her breath trying to control it. It backlashed and threw her back into a tree behind her. "Ow," she got out as she flexed her hand and felt that her back was okay. It was a new thing she was trying… her own spells.

"Good on ya, Will," Xander said evading a punch from the recovered vampires. "Now use one you know works!"

One vampire was grabbing for Buffy from behind while she was struggling with two others. "Expelliarmus!" she said pointing to the vampire. Red light with dark mist around it shot out and slammed the vampire into the side of a mausoleum making his body crunch a little as he dropped to the ground. Willow flinched and looked to her finger wondering how that had happened as she felt a wave of nausea come on.

It gave Buffy enough of a diversion to stake one vampire and flip the other one over her head. "Dusting would be good," she called out as she cut up into a quick double front kick and hit the vampire she was fighting into flipping over and landing on the ground. She staked him through the back.

"Diffindo," Willow said pointing to the same vampire and it literally tore apart bursting into ash. She looked to another by Xander.

"Not me!" he called out seeing her look his way. "Aim good!"

"Relashio," she said as she felt tired. She shouldn't though; the power was immense as both the vampires were knocked away from Xander. "Reducto," she said getting one of them as Xander staked the other with the end of his club.

Buffy took out the last one with a smile as she stood up dusting the ash from her. "Are we a team or what?" she asked as she and Xander started her way.

"Oh, you're a team alright, brava, I would clap but well," a voice said and they all knew it. Angelus came from the shadows with one of the watchers that had been following them with Angelus's hand around his neck. Angelus's lips were red with blood but the watcher seemed unharmed save for a bruise on his face. "Not a word from you sweet Willow or I'll snap his neck faster than you can do anything to me." He looked her way. "You look exhausted, and your power, beautiful to see. Boy, gag our pretty redhead," he said to Xander. He held up the watcher. "Unless you want his death on your hands."

Xander looked to Buffy who looked furious but she nodded. They didn't have a choice. "Let them go, Angel, it's me you want," she said coming closer and he tightened his hold on the watchers neck making her stop.

"You, you, you," Angelus said condescendingly. "Why do you think everything is about you?" he asked as he walked the watcher with him around the trio in a wide circle. "You're a bratty little teenage girl; you know I just wanted you for one thing."

Buffy's face was stone cold. "Where's the other watcher?" she asked him in a deadly serious tone.

He laughed as Xander tied a bit of cloth around Willow's mouth looking sorry about it but she understood. "Dead, she was delicious," he told her as he licked his lower lip. "Just like you're going to be when I'm done playing with you. You're going to beg for me to kill you."

Willow closed her eyes as he came closer to her. Center… center yourself… her magic was tired. Simple spells like that shouldn't have worn her out so quickly! But then they were so powerful… just like before when she had taken in the darkness of the hellmouth. She swallowed as Angelus said something cruel and Buffy blinked a few times keeping the tears back. She reached down, down into the earth for that line, the flow of magic that radiates through the earth. People didn't realize just how powerful the earth was, how much unused magic was there. It never died, it never faded, it just was.

Willow screamed into her gag as she felt a strong arm about her. She opened her eyes to see the blue of the watcher's eyes go blank as he died his neck at an odd angle. "My princess wants to see you," Angelus said into her hair, she could smell the taint of copper on his breath and it sickened her. "You made her very angry; she wanted her pretty red witch." He yanked her back as Xander and Buffy moved closer wanting to stop him. "Don't," he said putting a strong hand about her neck. "I don't want to kill her, not until I turn her. Angelus wasn't around to tame the Willow from the other world, but this one will learn to serve me or be in a lot of pain," he said as he leaned over forcing her head back and he licked her neck.

Willow cringed as she felt the flow of wiccan magic come to her and she raised her hands as she concentrated. A grayish blob formed and she threw it into Angelus's eyes.

He screamed out as he let her go clawing at the stuff on him. Buffy ran for him smashing her fist into his face as hard as she could and he lashed back blindly running off through the trees with a furious slayer after him.

Willow collapsed onto the ground, her body shaking as she slowly released what magic she could back to the earth. Xander came over and touched her shoulder but she flinched away as she pulled the gag off. "Don't," she got out as she trembled harder. "Thank you goddess," she whispered remembering that all wiccan magic was granted by the goddess and she didn't have a chance to even ask for it, she pulled it- yanked it out of the earth to save herself from what Angelus was planning to do to her. Her body felt like it was alive with power; she needed a conduit someone to release it to so it didn't make her tremble so much. Xander, she didn't know if he could handle it and honestly looking at him repulsed her but she didn't know why.

Buffy came back mad as she pulled twigs out of her hair. "What happened?" Xander asked. "Did you get him?"

"No," Buffy replied angrily. "Stupid brush, he was in the sewers and gone before I could get out of it." She sat down by Willow and the redhead held onto her hand making Buffy jump. The magic leveled out and Willow stopped shaking. "What was that?" she asked.

Willow lay on her back feeling… tingly. She wanted to whimper when she realized she needed a girlfriend. Okay, first she needed to come out and then get a girlfriend who could handle magic because she was feeling horny. She giggled when she thought that maybe the girlfriend part should come first anyway. Buffy and Xander looked to each other then to Willow.

"You okay?" Xander asked.

Willow nodded as she laid there. "It was magic," she told Buffy. "I knew you could probably handle the overflow."

"Probably?" Buffy asked as she sat back looking to her torn fingernails and the dirt underneath them. She felt like kicking herself, it really was Angelus and he was a bastard just like all the stories said. She was a stupid teenager.

**oooooooooo**

**Way too early the next morning…**

Buffy headed up the steps to Sunnydale High, it wasn't even six in the morning yet, but she knew with everything going on Giles was most likely there doing something British or Watchery. She needed to talk to him, just him with no distractions. That and she really didn't want to fight with her mother about why she was out when she was supposed to be grounded.

She headed down the silent hallway and in through the double doors to the library. It was quiet and mostly dim in there as well. She saw them as she came further in. "Quentin," she said looking to the older man, beside him was a younger man probably in his late twenties wearing the same stuffy clothing.

"I am still your elder," Quentin said. "It's Mr. Travers."

"Mr. Travers then," Buffy said leaning against the counter. "Where's Giles?"

"He'll probably be in when school starts," he replied.

Buffy nodded. "I'll see him then." She turned to leave.

"Just a moment young lady," Quentin called out to her and she turned to look at him. "I'm afraid there've been some changes." Buffy's frown turned into a scowl and the two men swallowed.

"What changes?" she asked.

"I feel that Mr. Giles has been negligent in your training as well as his duties as a watcher," Quentin told her. "I've relieved him as your watcher. Mr. Windham-Pryce here is your new watcher." Mr. Windham-Pryce smiled and moved a few feet forward with his hand stretched out.

"I don't want a new watcher," Buffy told him, her voice getting angry. Mr. Windham-Pryce's hand sank down and he looked uncomfortable. "I want Giles."

"I'm afraid that won't happen," Quentin told her. "You will work with Wesley here and do your duty to mankind."

"You mean to you," Buffy said sharply.

"Come now-," Wesley started.

"You- stay out of it," Buffy replied. "I don't need you, I need Giles. I trust Giles, I don't trust you."

"You don't have any choice in the matter Ms. Summers," Quentin said coming forward to match Wesley. "Mr. Giles is no longer your watcher."

"Then I'm not longer a slayer," Buffy told him.

"What do you mean by that?" Wesley asked not understanding. You didn't just stop being a slayer.

"I quit," she told them and headed for the doors.

"That might be harder than you think," Quentin called out. "We've found the two that I put on to follow you dead in the cemetery this morning. We're uncertain who killed them. Very lax on your part I believe. You will need a watcher."

Buffy turned her head just a little; her hand on the door and it was open. "Then maybe you should take the hint and leave where you're not wanted," she told them before she left letting the door swing behind her. She made it to the front doors and took off at her fastest run, twice as fast as any human could possibly go.

Buffy jumped the steps and quickly walked up to Giles's apartment door knocking on it. It had taken her five minutes to get there; she was a little out of breath but looked fresh and ready to go. "Come on," she said as she heard someone come to the door.

It opened to show that Giles was dressed but looked tired and angry. "Buffy," he said quietly as he stood in the doorway not allowing her to enter. She gave him a look wanting to know why he was keeping her out.

"Do you know what 'Quentin' did?" she asked him.

"Mr. Travers, yes, he told me. I'm surprised he found you so soon," Giles said staying in the doorway tilting his head a little like he was stretching it but a little too much.

"He fired you Giles, he can't do that can he?" she asked.

Giles looked down for a moment then to her seriously. "He can and he did – remove me as your watcher. He felt I wasn't in your best interests," he told her.

Buffy watched him for a moment in disbelief. "You aren't going to let it happen are you? You can't let it happen! I don't want another watcher, I want you!"

Giles took in a breath. "I can't interfere with this Buffy," Giles replied as he stretched his neck again and jerked it just a hair inside his apartment and mouthed 'watcher' to her. Buffy realized there was someone in the apartment with him so he couldn't talk to her there. "You need to accept young mister Windham-Pryce," he started as he touched his tie stroking it slightly, a very odd thing for him to do. She watched him confused. He touched it again as he spoke about her duty as a slayer and to the council as he ran his fingers through his hair then touched his tie again. "You need to go there and get this settled," he finished and Buffy watched him carefully. "Am I clear on this?" he asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yes, but I don't like it Giles."

He smiled at her. "Trust me; it will be better for all if you do as you're told."

Buffy gave him a look and headed off. She took off again running in the direction where he told her to go. She found herself at another door and rang the doorbell. She hurried in when Jenny answered it.

"Buffy?" she said still in her bathrobe. "You have another hour before going to school. Willow's still asleep."

"Giles told me to come," she said watching the window to see if any of the council had followed her. She had taken backyards and jumped fences to stay out of sight.

Jenny looked confused. "Why?"

"The Council," Buffy said sitting down on the couch dropping her book bag by her feet. "They fired him and put someone else in his place."

"They fired Rupert?" Jenny said sitting down by her.

Buffy nodded. "We can't meet at the school or his place anymore. There was someone with him. Probably to make sure he did what they wanted." She looked to the teacher. "Can they do all this?" she asked.

Jenny nodded as she went into the kitchen. "I've heard of the council. They're old and they have a lot of power," she said as she came out with a bottle of juice and handed it to Buffy who drank it gratefully. "Rupert has to be careful or they could deport him back to England."

Buffy looked blankly out the window. "Why is my life going to hell in a- hellmouth?"

Jenny patted her arm. "That's just life, and to a teenager it seems worse because you've never had the experience before. Being a slayer…" She shook her head as she stood up. "I'm here to help, you have friends and you have a mother that loves you. That's got to be worth something."

Buffy sat there with her empty juice bottle looking to it when the there was a quick knock on the back door. She came through to the kitchen as Jenny opened it and Giles came in. "I think I lost them," he said as he wiped sweat from his forehead. He nodded to Buffy. "I'm glad you got my clues."

Buffy smiled at that. "A red tie and touching your hair. How many redheads are there that I know?"

Giles nodded and sat at the kitchen table, Buffy sat with him as Jenny leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee. "Willow?" he asked Jenny.

"The spells knocked her out," Jenny said. "She's been asleep since Buffy and Xander got her home last night. I had to take her shoes off."

"It was wild and scary Giles," Buffy said. "She did that one expectorant spell that usually knocks someone back a foot or two. She slammed a vamp into the side of a mausoleum and I swear I heard his bones crunch."

Giles looked to Jenny who nodded. "The essence I hope it's not a part of her, its one reason we're going to the sabbat tomorrow," she replied.

"We'll have to shelf that for now then," he said. "We'll need to work around the council and this new watcher."

Buffy shook her head. "We so don't have time for that Giles. He- Angel, he killed those two watchers without a thought."

"And he'll kill more," Giles said. "Angelus was the leader of his group and you've heard of Spike and Drusilla and the destruction they caused over the centuries."

"How then?" Jenny asked.

Giles shook his head. "I'll study what I can; the books in the library are mine, not the council's. Just be careful and don't go out alone at night." He stood up looking at his watch. "I must go or they'll start looking for me. We'll meet here tonight, if that's fine with you Jenny," he asked his girlfriend.

She nodded. "I'll give you a key and you can meet here while we're gone."

**oooooooooo**

**A few days later…**

Willow walked down the main corridor of the school listening to the news that was the talk for everyone. Two students had been found in the park not far from the school torn to shreds and part of them was eaten. Normally Sunnydalians didn't notice things like that, but this they did. Last night had been a full moon so the big talk was that it was a werewolf.

"Willow," Oz said coming up to her.

Willow looked down like she was ashamed then up to the young man whose hair was a vibrant orange. "Wow," she replied looking at the spikes.

He nodded with a little smile. "Thought it'd be a good change," he said to her and they began to walk together through the hallway. "Listen, I was wondering if-," he started.

"Oh!" Willow said knowing what he was going to ask. "I have to go get- um, some homework from my English teacher, I'm sorry," she said as she hurried down the hallway.

"Sure," he said as he watched her go looking disappointed.

Willow swallowed as she made it around the corner and took a deep breath. She couldn't go out with him again, she had spent the past two days surrounded by women and the young redhead hadn't slept more than a hour or two with so many of the female gender nearby. She was glad to know that homosexuality was accepted in the Wiccan society and she had gone through her initiation rites easily. She and Jenny decided on no magic during that time. Maybe next time when they got to know the people there better.

Willow headed for the library to see Giles, Buffy, Xander and the new man, Wesley Windham-Pryce all there at the main table, though no one was really happy with him there.

"It does sound like a werewolf," Wesley was saying as she came all the way in.

"Those two students that were killed?" Willow asked as they looked her way.

"Will!" Xander said hopping over to her and scooping her up in a big bear hug.

"Breathing! Breathing!" she called out and he let her go.

Buffy smiled as she hugged her. "I'm glad you're back."

Willow smiled as Giles put an arm about her shoulder. "Sounds like I'm missing out on the new big bad."

"Werewolf, we're pretty sure of it," Xander told her.

"Actually we have no proof of it," Giles replied.

"It's three to one, Giles is mad he's losing," Buffy said as she sat down in her seat and Giles scowled at her. "Let's just say it is a werewolf, what are we going to do about it?"

"Not much," Giles said talking off his glasses. "We can't do anything until the next full moon."

"I am the watcher now," Wesley told him cutting in. "I believe I should answer."

Willow wrinkled up her nose a little at him, he was a snotty man. "Be my guest," Giles said.

Wesley looked to them then thought about it. "We'll have to wait for the next full moon before our werewolf returns."

"There's a shocker of an idea," Buffy said sarcastically. Willow now understood, it was Giles's domain and Wesley was trying to insert his authority around to show he had the council's approval.

"What about tonight's full moon?" Willow asked.

The four looked her way. "Pardon?" Giles asked.

Willow looked to them like they should know this. "Well, last night was the night before the full moon," she watched them to see if they'd catch on. "Traditionally known as 'the night before the full moon'."

Giles looked thunderstruck. "Meaning the accepted legend that werewolves only prowl during a full moon might be erroneous," he said taking off his glasses.

"Or it could be a crock," Buffy said as she took out a pack of gum and offered some to Xander and Willow. Both took some.

"Unless the werewolf was using last year's almanac," Xander told her and they both smiled.

"Looks like Giles has some schooling to do," Buffy said.

"I AM the watcher here," Wesley said with a huff. "It is MY job, not his."

"Touchy," Buffy said. "Hop to it then school boy," she told him as she stood up. "I have school myself." She looked to Giles who nodded that he would look into it as well.

The three left and Willow looked back to the two Englishmen arguing over something. "Has it been like this the entire time?"

"Worse, the council is still here, but Quentin left," Buffy muttered around her gum.

"Love to stay and chat, glad you're back Will, but I gotta go," Xander said heading in Cordelia's direction.

"How was the wiccafest?" Buffy asked.

Willow smiled. "It was awesome! They explained things about magic and nature and – most of them knew some magic."

"Not your magic though," Buffy replied as they headed for gym class.

Willow shook her head. "It was nice and peaceful; the witches there were really cu- cool. Maybe you can come with us sometime."

Buffy looked thoughtful at Willow little faux pas and at the thought of being in a calm peaceful place. "You think a slayer can be pagan?"

"Are you really Christian?" Willow asked Buffy pointedly. Buffy and her mom didn't go to church. She didn't belong to any denomination.

"Good point," Buffy replied.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy returned to the library after school to see it was just Giles there. "What happened to laughing boy?"

Giles sighed giving her a disapproving look. "You need to stop harassing him, Buffy."

Buffy shrugged. "I can't help it, Giles. He's harassing material."

Giles pulled out a few books as Willow, Xander and Cordelia came in. "Right we all search together. We must find him tonight. But take extra precaution. Werewolves are known to act on pure instinct. No conscience, uh- uh predatory and aggressive."

"Your typical male," Buffy replied and Cordelia nodded in agreement.

"On behalf of my gender, hey," Xander protested.

"Yes, let's not jump to any conclusions," Giles told them.

"I didn't jump. I took a tiny step, and there conclusions were," Buffy replied nonchalantly.

"The point is that our wolfman could also be a-a-a wolfwoman or anyone who was bitten by a werewolf," Giles said.

"I'm guessing your standard silver bullets are in order here?" Xander asked.

"No! No bullets," Giles said looking to them. "No matter who this werewolf is, it's still a human being, who may be completely unaware of his or her condition."

"So we bring them back alive," Buffy said as she stood up.

"Where do we start to hunt this wascally wabbit?" Xander asked.

"If he's hunting teenagers," Cordelia said. "Make out point."

"You have one here?" Buffy asked thinking about it. She and Angel usually made out in the cemetery.

Cordelia rolled her eyes as she left. "They do," Willow informed her. "I've seen it from afar."

Buffy laughed as they looked to Xander who looked scared to answer and he ran out of the library. "Boys."

"Boys," Willow said nodding in agreement as they left together.

"See you at sundown, Giles," Buffy said with a wave behind her.

Giles watched them go and looked to his fist. No one noticed that it was bruised.

**oooooooooo**

**That night…**

It was dark a little nippy out and Buffy had on a light coat and knit cap as wandered around looking into the brush but glancing every so often into the cars. She looked up as Giles and Willow came her way from the other direction.

"Anything yet?" Giles asked quietly.

Buffy grinned and looked to Willow. "Yes," she replied in the same quiet tone but excited. "You won't believe what I saw. Brittany Podell was making out with Owen Stadeel."

Willow's eyes opened at that. "I thought he was going out with Barrett Williams?"

Buffy nodded at that naughty secret with a bigger grin. "If she ever found-," she looked to Giles and the look of annoyance on his face. "No, um, no, no sign of the werewolf." She smiled his way. "How about you?"

"Uh, the same," Giles said as he looked around at all the cars and the silence other than a few that were rocking slightly. "I thought we might,- we might knock on a few windows and, uh, ask if anyone has seen anything yet."

Buffy and Willow looked to each other, Willow raised an eyebrow a little and Buffy matched it as they looked to the cars around them. "Trust me on this Giles," Buffy told him. "No one's seen anything." Willow nodded at this.

Giles looked around again and realized just 'what' was going on in the cars and he flushed a little. "Oh, yes. No, of-of course not, no. Yes."

"Confused much?" Buffy asked. "I think the scent of chloroform in the air is too much for his British senses."

Willow bit her lip trying not the smile. "Pheromones," she told her friend. "You'll get farther with pheromones than chloroform. What happened to Xander?" she asked she asked looking around. The four had paired up to go searching and Xander had gone with Buffy.

"Cordelia and testosterone," Buffy said then smiled her way. "I know that one."

"You should," Giles said. "You breath it every chance you get. Let's try this way."

Willow and Buffy looked shocked at this. "Giles, did you just mock me?" Buffy asked as the two girls followed him.

"If you mean did I state that you enjoy the allure of young males too much, then yes, I mocked you," Giles told her.

Buffy sniffed dramatically behind him. "Giles mocked me, Will. I'm so proud," she said.

Willow giggled and Giles rolled his eyes. Two of the most powerful beings he knew were behind him acting like girly teenagers. Which they were, but that was beside the point. He shook his head. "I just don't know how to track it," he said looking to them. Willow raised her hand excitedly and he had to smile. "Yes?"

"I could do a finder spell, like I did wi-with evil me," she told him.

"You think you'll be alright?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's not a hurty spell."

"Hurty spell," Giles said not believing what he was hearing. "Go ahead."

Willow took a chopstick out of her jacket pocket. "I hope you weren't planning on killing anything with that," Buffy said.

"I thought I might try my spell when Giles gave up," Willow told her as she rested it in the palm of her hand. "I brought it just in case." She looked to the chopstick and thought about the werewolf they were looking for. "Point me," she said to it. The chopstick trembled for a moment then turned toward their left.

"Right then," Giles said impressed by Willow's gift. "Off we go then."

They hurried through the brush and small forested areas of the ridge to see something up ahead that looked furry, a scream followed it and Buffy raced on ahead. Willow and Giles came out of the brush to see Buffy facing off against a huge werewolf a young woman was dead on the ground nearby. Tan in color with a massive muzzle and giant teeth Willow stilled in fear.

"Mother of God!" Giles exclaimed. He had never seen a werewolf in real life before.

"Impedimenta!" Willow said pointing at the werewolf. A grayish white light came out and the werewolf dodged the spell, forcing Buffy to dodge the werewolf, however, she did get a strong sidekick into the werewolf's stomach forcing it back from her.

The werewolf was back up and it looked to them but attacked Buffy, she was the strongest of the group. Buffy had back flipped away from the beast as Giles had a clear shot to tranquilize him with.

The werewolf sniffed the air and raced off into the brush. "Damn it!" Buffy said running off after it. Willow and Giles followed again.

"Is that normal?" Willow asked.

"I'm uncertain," Giles replied as they were both huffing to try and even spot where Buffy and the werewolf had gone. They came out to see the werewolf fling Buffy high up into the air over a large bush. She landed with an 'ow'.

"Impedimenta!" Willow called out firmly this time and Giles watched as a jolt of magic came out. The werewolf caught the brunt of it as he tripped up, his large body falling to the side.

"How long will that keep him down?" Giles asked as he trained the gun on the beast.

Willow shook her head. "I don't know," she said breathing out a sigh of relief. The werewolf was growling a little, but didn't move.

"Buffy?" Giles called out.

Buffy slowly came back into the area. "I'm okay," she said as she limped. "They're stronger than a vampire, I'll give them that." She looked to the werewolf. "Now what do we do with it?"

Giles looked to it. "We- we could tranquilize it and take it back to the library until morning."

Buffy looked to it then to her true watcher. "I'm not carrying it all the way back there."

"Then we stay with it here I guess," Giles replied with a sigh looking for a place to sit down.

Willow sat down on the ground and Buffy sat beside her. "You okay?" Buffy asked Willow knowing that she was having a hard time controlling her stamina with magic lately.

Willow nodded. "It wasn't too bad, maybe I'm getting more use to it."

"We may be here all night," Giles told her. "Why don't you head for home?"

"Not alone," Buffy reminded him, Angelus was still out there and he wanted Willow as a trophy for when he took Buffy down, which neither of them wanted.

"I can call Jenny," Willow said taking out her cell phone.

"I so want one of those," Buffy told her as she leaned back against a tree trunk. "Hell would have to freeze over before my mom would get me one. She'd probably think I was turning into a drug dealer."

"Buffy," Giles chided her a little.

"What? She probably thinks I'm one now," Buffy replied as Willow ended her call. "What's Jenny been doing lately?"

"Finding the spell to resoul Angel," Willow told her. "She found it."

"That's with the good then," Buffy said sitting up.

"It's in ancient Romanian," Willow replied.

"Does she read it?" Buffy asked. Willow shook her head. Buffy looked to Giles for help.

He shook his head. "There isn't much call for ancient Romanian; I can try to use some of my contacts."

Buffy smiled a little but looked defeated as she slumped back against the tree again. "Me and my choice of boyfriends."

"Well, you could be dating him," Willow said nodding to the werewolf.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "True."

They turned as someone came through the brush. "We're here," Xander said as he dragged Cordelia along with him.

"Joy," Buffy replied. There was a snarl and Cordelia screamed and Willow squeaked as the werewolf broke free from the spell. Even Xander and Giles were startled as Giles shot wildly with the tranquilizer gun missing the werewolf completely. "More joy," Buffy said as she was up ready to fight. The werewolf took off and Buffy ran after it again.

Willow was the last in line, she was tired and Cordelia's butt right in front of her which didn't help. She slid into Cordelia as the brunette stopped suddenly and Willow landed on her behind and Cordelia landed in her lap. Giles was in front of them aiming his rifle when Buffy swore then Xander swore just after that.

"I didn't know they could do that," Buffy said.

"What?" Cordelia asked as she got off of Willow and Willow sat there half in shock and half with a smile on her face.

"Are you well Willow?" Giles asked as he helped her up.

"Bruised my Scooby standing," Willow replied as she brushed off her behind. "What happened?"

"He jumped the ridge to the other side," Giles said and she saw that the small canyon was about thirty feet across; the road into Sunnydale proper was at the bottom.

A car came up the road not to far from them. "That's Jenny's," Willow said recognizing the mustang from the light of the moon as she hurried back up to find the road. She made it and waved her guardian down.

"Willow?" Jenny said as she pulled up, rolling her window down as the rest of the group came out. "What happened?"

"Werewolf got away," Buffy said.

Giles smiled Jenny's way. "We could use some transport to our own vehicles."

Jenny nodded and smiled too. "Feel the rapture," Buffy said as she got in the back seat looking glum.

**oooooooooo**

Jenny sat down by Willow on the couch, the news was originally on but Jenny changed it to a British comedy and gently stroked her fingers through the red hair. "You okay?" she asked.

Willow nodded as she leaned onto her. She was tired; the power she felt in her got draining when she brought it up to use it. The two days at the sabbat had reestablished their relationship. They had talked a lot and she even admitted to her that she was pretty sure she was gay. Jenny shrugged and told her that everyone had their own path in life; living one that wasn't hers would just be a lie.

Willow fell asleep against her. She felt safe.

**oooooooooo**

**To be Continued…**

Spells-

Sunlight


	21. Chapter 21

**February 13th…**

It was early afternoon and school was almost over for the day and the week. Willow headed down the hallway with her books for the library where she was planning on meeting Buffy and Giles. They hadn't caught the werewolf, but they had a few more weeks to find a way before the full moon came again. She caught herself looking at a few of the girls… Huh? Oh yeah, in the meantime she had been sprucing up on her potion skills with Jenny as well as her lore on werewolves. There was a lot of negative stuff about them, but Giles had shown her the books that they were just like anyone else except three nights out of the year.

She couldn't imagine what that would be like, it was already hard enough being abandoned twice and a witch, but to be a werewolf-woman… Willow looked to her body which was still girlishly slender for a fifteen year old, werewolf-girl then, would probably send her into hiding. She had looked for spells that could reverse the curse but it didn't seem to exist. You were stuck being one forever.

Not like she needed that on her mind as well. The council was still here, Wesley was still here sporting a fading black eye no less. No one knew why and he wasn't saying. He was still arrogant, but he didn't tread on Giles's toes much anymore.

Willow smiled at Sara who was in her third period class. She was gorgeous. Willow blinked as she looked away. What in the world was wrong with her? She pulled her thoughts back again.

Giles and Jenny were going out tomorrow night… Valentine's Day. Buffy was dateless… her last boyfriend was currently her demon tormentor. He had been leaving things for her like dead flowers with maggots in them, or a drawing of her sleeping. Willow recast the spell to keep him out of the house, that didn't mean he couldn't look in. The last one was the worst and it was for Jenny. The body of her uncle had been found four days ago. It had hurt, given that Angelus had known about him from her didn't help matters any. His body had been shipped back to 'the old country'; Jenny never told her where that was exactly.

Willow moved her mind from that back to dating and Valentine's, she could go out with Oz but she was avoiding him more and more. Oz was nice and cuddly like a Xander type friend. But Oz type friend wanted smoochies and touching. Willow didn't want them from him. How to say no though… she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"Oz, by the way I think I'm- a little gay," Willow said under her breath as she looked to two girls walk by her in low riding jeans as she took in a breath admiring the view and looked away again when she heard a scream from the next hall. "How can you be a 'little' gay?" she muttered as she hurried to see what was wrong.

Her mind was still going as she weaved her lithe body through the crowd of teenagers in the hall. Xander had Cordelia, or did, she dumped him and Xander was now depressed Xander, Cordelia had been acting like a bitch that needed to be slapped. She turned the corner to see five girls roughing up Cordelia, most of them were her little minions. Oooookay…that was strange, most times her wishes didn't come true.

"We'll knock that snotty attitude right outta you!" one of the Cordettes yelled at Cordelia and smacked her one right across the face before they took her down pulling on her hair and clothes.

"Not exactly the way I pictured it," Willow said softly as Xander came stumbling out of the Library looking like he had been mauled from the state of his clothes and hair. She raised an eyebrow when she realized it was how he looked after time spent in the closet with Cordelia.

"Ow! Stop!" Cordelia cried out as she tried to defend herself.

Xander pushed girls away and helped Cordelia up and they ran down the hallway together. The girls started to chase them screaming Xander's name like he was a rock star. Willow's eyes went wide with curiosity as Larry the jock and a couple other boys went past her yelling Xander's name the same way as she went through the doors into the library. She bumped into the card catalog that was in front of the door and she slid herself around to come in. Why was that there? And why were the lights dimmer than usual?

"Willow! The rat, it's Buffy!" Giles called out as Willow saw a rat scurry along the side of the wall towards the doors.

"Finite incantatem," Willow said pointing at the mouse. A flash of energy flickered around the rat slowly morphing back into Buffy, a Buffy, in the buff. Willow took in a breath. She had seen Buffy mostly naked quite a few times when they were changing clothes at home or after gym but she felt a desire like she had with the other girls at school so far. While she was a red-blooded, um, witch… she had urges, usually not this strong, and not for her best friend.

"Hey," Buffy said slowly as she covered herself with her arms as she could moving behind a potted plant holding the leafs strategically in front of her. "Any clothes about?"

"Here," Giles said coming forward with a handful of clothing, Willow blinked as she couldn't help but look at her friend.

"How did she do that?" another voice said, an annoying voice, the voice of Wesley.

"Damn," Giles muttered under his breath. He turned as Willow looked behind her away from much loveliness of the female gender to see Wesley dusting the knees of his suit pants off looking Willow's way.

"I didn't know," Willow said softly to Giles. Jenny and Giles had been specific when they realized Wesley was here to stay to keep her magic to herself, they didn't want the council knowing about her powers.

"It's alright," Giles said touching her shoulder as he past her towards Wesley who actually cringed a little at the sight of him. "It was a simple spell…," he started as he pulled Wesley into his office.

"That was freaky odd," Buffy said coming up to her tying the robe on tight. Willow looked her way then to the robe and back to her friend. Buffy blushed. "I think we have a problem," Buffy told her.

"Considering that the entire female population of Sunnydale High was trying to kill Cordelia just a minute ago?" Willow said then she thought about it and her eyes narrowed.

"Something like that," Buffy said as she took her friend's arm knowing the redhead wanted to kill Cordelia half the time anyway. "I need some clothes." She dragged Willow to the gym and found her locker quickly changing into her gym clothes. Willow turned away and closed her eyes thinking of ugly things like spiders and frogs and Mr. Hentree her English teacher… naked. She shuddered at the thought. "Now," Buffy said as she stuffed her other clothes in her gym bag and Willow looked back at her enjoying the view of Buffy's tank top and the curves therein. "Let's go find Xander."

Willow looked confused. "Xander?" she asked as she followed Buffy.

Buffy nodded as they headed out of the school and there they saw a light trail of women and girls headed down the street like they were in a trance. "One moment Xander was just Xander," she told her as they hurried along. "The next…" she went silent as she glanced to Willow. "I wanted him; he was the most desirable guy on the planet."

Willow's brow furrowed. "Xander?"

Buffy shrugged. "I know! I don't understand it either. Then Amy came in and we fought over him and she turned me into a rat."

"Transformations are pretty hard, living objects-," Willow thought about it. Human to animal… would be amazing. "Maybe Amy found a wand."

"I didn't see any wand," Buffy said as they headed down another street, there were more women this way. They were coming close to Buffy's house. "She talked about hopscotch or something and her eyes went black."

Hopscotch? Willow wondered, no spells used hopscotch, not to her-. "Hecate?" she asked. Buffy nodded. "Dark magics."

"That's what I figured, not with the nice and all," Buffy said as they came up to her house to find a mob of angry women, some with shovels and axes or other tools that they held like weapons. "Mom?" Buffy got out as she came forward to see her mother in the mix right next to Drusilla as well as Amy, others girls from school and a lot of other women from the neighborhood all grabbing for something out on the front lawn.

"Jenny?" Willow said with a glance at her guardian who was there as well.

"Will! Buffy!" Xander said from somewhere in the crowd. "You gotta help us!"

Buffy hurried into the fray grabbing at the first few women to clear a path only to find some of them turn on her.

"You want our Xander!" one woman said.

"Whore!" "Slut!" other women said reaching out to hurt her.

Buffy smacked one hand away from grabbing onto her, knowing she couldn't start decking these women they were innocents caught up in a spell. "I'm not interested in Xander that way!" she tells them angrily.

"Liar!" a teenage girl spits out and more names are called as more grab for her.

Buffy set a stance and her fists; she wasn't getting into any catfights. "Will?" she called out.

Willow was behind her by a good ten feet with her eyes closed. "Concentrate… concentrate," she whispered to herself. She couldn't look at them, the women, the girls. She could sense them, smell them… one in particular… Cordelia. She felt a pull to her – one she had had for years, but it was so much stronger, the need to be with her, to tell her how much she loved her. It wasn't true, it wasn't real – it was a spell.

"Willow!" Buffy yelled from where she was holding the women in front of her off but it was going to become a losing battle if they didn't do something.

Willow let out a breath and opened her eyes. "Singulus!" she got out with a wave of her hand. Like a wind being driven out from the center of the mob it blew everyone back thirty feet with a gush of air. All but Willow, Xander, Cordelia. Buffy slid back about to where Willow was but stayed on her feet.

"Oh thank god," Cordelia said standing up holding onto Xander. The women around them groaned, they were out of it for the moment, but it wouldn't last forever.

"Spill Xander!" Buffy demanded as she came forward but Willow stayed back a bit looking anywhere but at Cordelia.

"I didn't know!" Xander started.

"He had Amy cast some mojo with the witchy magic and now all the women are hot for him and want to kill me!" Cordelia exclaimed. "That's what!"

"If you weren't so hard headed it would have worked!" Xander countered.

"What?" Cordelia said. "You cast the spell at me?"

Buffy found Amy and pulled her up. "What spell did you do, Amy?" she asked.

"One only for my true love," Amy said reaching out for Xander.

Cordelia stepped over and slapped her face really hard. "Snap out of it!"

"She's under the spell too, Cordelia! Xander ask her!" Buffy told her friend.

"Amy is the stuff still at the high school?" he asked.

Amy nodded as she reached for him again. "All of it, but we don't need to worry about stuff like that-," she started only to be knocked out, this time by Willow with a hard right across Amy's cheek.

The three looked her way as women started to get up. Willow blinked back tears holding her hand as pain ran through her face. "That's painful," she said closing her eyes when she looked to Buffy. "If the stuff is there I can do it, let's go," she told them tersely as she started to run for the high school.

"Holey ma-ha-," Xander tried to get out, surprised at what his best friend just did. Buffy let Amy who was out cold land on the ground and took up pursuit of Willow who was almost to a sprint.

"Let's go before I hit you like that," Cordelia told him.

They ran to catch up as the women started after them again. Buffy easily caught up to Willow and touched her shoulder. Willow flinched as she slowed down. "Will?" Buffy asked worriedly.

Willow shook her head. She couldn't describe it. The resentment she had for Cordelia, yet at the same time she wanted her. Now Amy was messing with her life again and she couldn't control that need. Every girl they came across she has a desire for, but Cordelia… it was strong. "Later, when everyone isn't a Xander-o-holic."

Buffy nodded slightly as they hurried. Xander and Cordelia bickered and talked behind them. Willow couldn't hear them, but Buffy could. Apparently Cordelia was finding out the spell was to make her fall in love with him and the brunette found it endearing.

Xander led them from the main entrance at the school up to the science lab where the things Amy had used for the spell were. They quickly entered in to find Giles there looking through the small book Amy had used for the spell and the items there.

"Cordy, you help me barricade the door," Buffy told the brunette. "Xander you and Willow help Giles find the spell."

"I think I have," Giles said. "It would be good if Willow did the casting, since she and Amy are both witches."

Willow stood by Giles needing to be far away from Cordelia. "Quickly, Willow," Giles said pushing the open book into her hands. "Read." Willow looked to the book and Giles pointed to the spot to start at. "I understand this is affecting you," Giles told her. "But you must concentrate!"

Willow nodded. "Goddess of creatures great and small, I conjure thee to withdraw.

Hecate, I hereby license thee to depart," she said as her eyes turned black drawing in the dark magics from the earth and herself.

"Oh crap," Xander said backing up.

"Dark magic Xander! Who did you think would fix this mess? We'll help her when it's done, now be quiet!" Giles told him as he sprinkled some powder into a beaker filled with some dark liquid and it began to spark making everyone but Willow flinch.

"I hear something," Cordelia whispered to then listening with her ear pressed against the door to the hall.

Giles tilted his head to get a look at the book Willow held limply in her hands as her eyes latched to Cordelia's figure. "Diana, goddess of love, be gone," he said putting a crushed herb into the dark brew in the beakers and it sparked again. "Hear no more thy siren's song." He took up the pendant Xander had given Cordelia for Valentine's and dropped it into the beaker.

A cloud of magic appeared around them making everything shake. Willow watched as the others had to hold onto to something so they wouldn't be knocked down… but she felt it, the release of the hold on her – love. She looked to Cordelia and felt… the slight attraction and breathed out a sigh of relief. Magical energy drew in from the windows, doors, cracks in the walls wherever it could get in and spiraled down into the beaker. With a flash it was gone.

Buffy let out a breath and opened the door to see a lot of confused women and teenaged girls standing in the doorway and down the halls wondering why they were there. "Well, this is fun," she said to Cordelia who peered around the doorway at them making sure Buffy was between her and them… just in case.

**oooooooooo**

Willow followed alongside Buffy as they patrolled late that night through the cemeteries both of the girls carrying Styrofoam cups from Starbucks. They had straightened out the mess at the high school with Giles talking about a gas leak. None of the women knew why they were there and slowly left the building for their homes with the British man's coaxing. Mrs. Summers had gone to bed early with a headache. Buffy had walked her home and met up with Willow later to patrol.

"No one's seen Drusilla," Buffy told her as they settled in on a wrought iron bench looking over quite a few graves. "She didn't bite anyone as far as Giles knew, so that's with the good."

"Jenny didn't feel so good," Willow replied after she took a sip of her mocha. "At least we could tell her what was going on." She smiled a little. "She wasn't happy with Xander."

"Who is at the moment?" Buffy asked and the two looked to each other.

"Cordelia," they said at the same time.

"Well, I feel like a schlub," Buffy said sipping her own drink. "Doing all the sexy talk and wearing practically nothing." She looked Willow's way. "It didn't seem to affect you. Is it because of all the magic going on?" She watched as Willow was silent. "It affected Amy," she figured out.

Willow chewed on her lower lip as she looked out to the grounds or at her drink.

"Will," Buffy said softly trying to coax her into talking. "You know I love you right? You're my best friend and nothing will change that." Willow glanced her way then to her cup. Little things Buffy had seen, or Willow had said to her finally came out to the forefront of her mind. "Willow," Buffy started again, "are you gay?"

Willow blushed deeply and Buffy slid closer to her and put an arm about her. Willow finally nodded but no words came out. "Hence the whole, 'I like Oz, but he's brotherly to me'," Buffy answered for her. It was quiet for another moment. "You know its cool right?" Buffy started up again. "Everyone in L.A. is gay."

Willow giggled at that and Buffy smiled. "Thanks," Willow said softly looking to her.

"So what was with all the angry stuff and hitting Amy? Not that she didn't deserve it," Buffy asked.

"A hair," Willow told her.

Buffy's eyebrow went up. "Excuse me?"

"Xander took the necklace back and used it in the spell," Willow told her. Buffy nodded knowing this. "Giles found a red hair tangled in the chain. My hair, probably from the sweater he had on."

Buffy blinked then shook her head. "So it affected you."

"Just not in the way it was supposed to," Willow replied. She didn't fall in love with Xander; she started falling in love with Cordelia and most females that she came across.

Buffy nodded only to look her way. "You saw me in my birthday suit," she said looking curiously at her. "You kept turning away." Willow looked away from her blushing. "Will? Is there something you need to tell me?" Buffy said teasingly.

"I-I," Willow started to stammer as she got redder. "You-you're my best friend. An- and while I like you like you- you're a sister to me and I didn't want to think of you that way but it was just there-," Willow got out.

Buffy nudged her and Willow stopped talking. "It's okay Will," she told her. "Anyone else?"

Willow's face flushed pale this time as her eyes went wide. "No! No, nope!"

Buffy laughed as she took another sip of her drink. "As long as it's not Cordelia then I-," she stopped as Willow looked to her drink again. "Not Cordelia."

Willow shrugged. "Believe me Buffy. I've tried to. She is the bane of my existence." She sighed and looked to her friend. "I've been thinking I'm a masochist."

Buffy smiled and settled back in by her friend. "That's okay, after my weirdness with Angel. I'm thinking I'm one too."

Willow nodded as she stole up her courage, taking in a breath she leaned over and kissed her. Buffy looked shocked as Willow smiled just a little and sat back. "What was that?" Buffy asked wondering what had gotten into her normally shy friend.

"Punishment for Xander," Willow replied as she took another sip of her drink. Buffy still watched her confused and Willow made a face. "He's had a crush on you since the first day he met you," she told her friend. "If he ever asks who's the first person I've kissed I get to say you. I kissed you first, even before him." Willow looked her way. "I- I'm not in love with you though."

Buffy shook her head but smiled. "I'm not sure if I should be pleased or insulted." Willow smiled a little. "Your first kiss huh?" Willow blushed again. "That's gonna stay with you forever," Buffy told her with a grin then she sat back and looked pleased. "I'll be both pleased and insulted at the same time."

Willow smiled as she rested her cheek on Buffy's shoulder and looked to the night sky and the stars. "I love you Buffy. But there's someone out there for me. I just have to find her."

"Oops, look," Buffy said nodded to the left. "Council watchdog at ten o'clock." Willow looked to her wrist for her watch and Buffy smacked it gently back down to her lap. "Ten o'clock position on the ground," she chided softly.

Willow looked and there Wesley was doing a poor job of lurking in the bushes. "He's annoying. Good thing you got Giles first."

"Amen to that," Buffy said finishing off her coffee. "Hope he doesn't get killed or anything while he's out there."

"Buffy," Willow said looking her way.

"Maybe just a little," Buffy told her with a sigh. They continued on their way to finish their patrol.

**oooooooooo**

**February 14th - Hogwarts**

Harry licked his lower lip as he headed into the Great Hall that morning. He had dressed more carefully than normal since the day had come, he was going to spend it all with Cho Chang, the girl he'd been in love with since forever – well, at least for a few years.

He smiled to Tara who was spreading a bit of jam on her toast and talking with a group of girls at her table. She waved to him as he passed down the aisle towards Hermione and Ron. Harry had learned that most of her shyness came from people she didn't know. While soft spoken she was quite strong willed, apparently a McClay trait.

"Tara, what do you see in him?" he heard one Hufflepuff girls ask.

"He's my friend," she said softly.

"He made up you-know-who coming back," another girl replied.

"Harry would never do that," Tara told her.

Harry smiled as he sat down in his seat. One person outside of his small group of friends in Gryffindor believed in him. He took out a plate full of food as owls started to come in.

"Oh, thank goodness, if it hadn't of come today-," Hermione said as one landed and she took the little scroll from its mouth. More and more owls swarmed in.

Everyone started to look up at them, even the professors. The girls squealed as thousands of rose petals floated down from bags held by the owls filling the hall with them. Magical in design they disappeared a few seconds after they landed. A blizzard of them landed right over Hermione. She blew a few from her face, delighted as she was a few more owls landed in front of her plate.

Grinning Hermione took a bag from one and opened it. She drew out a velvet box. "That's not what I think it is, is it?" Ginny asked as Parvati, and anyone nearby craned their necks to look at what was in the box.

Harry was curious as well. Hermione opened it and there inside was a beautiful necklace with a blue gem as the centerpiece. Hermione sat down in shock as she looked to it.

"What is it?" Neville asked. He was too far away to see.

Hermione snapped out of her trance looking around she closed the lid. The rose petals were gone and everyone was curious. "Hermione," Ginny said looking to her friend. "Is that from Viktor?"

"What the bloody hell is it?" Ron asked. He wasn't in a good mood to start with. Angelina was forcing the Quidditch team to stay all day and practice for the upcoming game with Hufflepuff.

"A necklace, a bloody expensive looking one at that," Seamus said from where he had been looking over Parvati's shoulder.

Hermione blushed as she took up her mail as well as the note that came with the necklace and quickly left the Great Hall. Harry watched as Ginny looked over in Tara's direction and the two smiled.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked.

Ginny shrugged. "It's just romantic." Ron rolled his eyes at that and left finishing up his bacon as he walked out. Ginny made a face at her brother's back. "As if he would know, not a romantic bone in him." She smiled at Harry and it creeped him out a little. He focused on his breakfast.

Harry finished and left the Great Hall heading for the entrance to the school where he'd meet Cho and they'd head down to Hogwarts.

"Harry," a quiet voice called out. Harry looked around to just see students around him; none of them really looked his way. "Harry," the voice said again. He saw a motion and there in the shadows of the stairwell was Hermione. She beckoned him over.

Harry went over to her and she pulled him into the shadows with her. "Hermione, what's going on?"

"I didn't want a hundred questions about the owl mail today," Hermione replied.

"Was it from Viktor?" he asked.

Hermione smiled softly and blushed a little. "Yes-, but that's beside the point. There's something I need you to do today, Harry." He looked at her curiously. "Could you meet me at the Three Broomsticks around midday?"

Harry looked uncertain. "I dunno… Cho might be expecting to spend the whole day with her."

Hermione sighed. "This is really important. I need you to come today, bring her along if you must."

"Well, alright, but why?" he asked.

"I can't tell you right now, I must reply to this," Hermione told him holding up the other mail she received. She headed quietly for the stairs. "Make sure you come." She was off in the blaze of force that was Hermione. Harry shook his head as he headed back to the main doors.

Harry found himself half an hour later looking at the posters outside of every shop. A Ministry wanted poster for the ten Death Eaters that escaped Azkaban.

"It's funny, isn't it?" Cho said in a low voice looking to the pictures, "remember that Sirius Black who escaped, there were Dementors all over Hogsmeade looking for him? Now there are ten Death Eaters on the loose and no Dementors anywhere."

"Yeah," Harry said realizing that while he was glad there weren't any around; they really were outside of Ministry control now. "Funny that."

"Want to get a coffee?" Cho asked.

Harry looked back to the street that made up Hogsmeade. "Yeah, all right… where?"

"There's a really nice place just up the street," Cho said leading him along. "Haven't you ever been to Madam Puddifoot's?"

Harry didn't like it the instant he set foot in there. It was a cute little tea shop with frills and bows uneasily reminding him of Professor Umbridge's office. Cho smiled at all the cute things in it and sat down at one of the tables.

Harry sat down across from her and looked over to see Roger Davies sitting with a Hufflepuff girl at the next table. The two started kissing and Harry looked worriedly back at Cho. He wanted to kiss her, but here? How? Harry was wondering if dating was worth it as two little golden cherubs floating overhead sprinkled them occasionally with pink confetti.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said after the interview with Rita Skeeter was over and the two were headed back to Hogwarts.

Rita had done an interview with him on what really happened those months ago in the graveyard with Voldemort. The reporter had fallen on hard times but that didn't stop her from trying to worm out an exclusive on Hermione's love life with Viktor Krum. The young Bulgarian was more dashing now that he was out of school. He had grown his hair out and was sporting a stylish beard and moustache. He was the hottest Quidditch player in the Wizarding world and he was wrapped around Hermione's finger. Which only made Hermione threaten her more firmly to stay on the topic at hand.

Harry had informed Hermione of how things when with Cho. "I wonder about you and Ron sometimes," Hermione told him. "You should have told her differently that you were coming to meet me."

Harry looked perplexed. "She was going on about Cedric and turning down Roger Davies who was snogging a girl at the next table," he countered.

"She wanted to see how much you liked her," Hermione chided him as they strode along the pathway, Hogwarts fully in sight now.

"Why didn't she just ask if I fancied her?" Harry replied.

Hermione sighed as she slid her arm into his. "Honestly Harry." They rounded a corner and saw Tara standing away from the path watching the Gryffindor's practice their Quidditch game.

"Spying for Hufflepuff?" Hermione asked with a smile.

Tara turned their way and smiled back subconsciously tucking a lock of her long blond hair behind her ear. "Not quite," she said. "Had to get out."

Hermione and Harry looked to the castle. "It can get stuffy, especially with what's going on of late," Hermione agreed with her as she switched and put her arm through Tara's leaving Harry free.

Tara made a little face as she walked with them. "My mum's there," she admitted.

"Why?" Harry asked looking to the castle again.

Tara rolled her eyes just a little. "The Ministry wanted her to take Professor Trelawney's position. Professor Umbridge didn't seem pleased about it."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "She's going to teach?"

Tara giggled at that shaking her head. "She's busy at home mostly, or at St. Mungo's. She mostly came to see how I was being treated after so many rumors flying about."

"Umbridge will make you suffer for it, believe me," Harry replied. He could still feel the marks from the back of his hand.

Hermione shook her head. "Tara's mum is the one who can say something, Harry. The McClay's don't look to the British Ministry as we do. And having let Tara come here makes it her concern."

"None of your cousins come here," Harry said noting that quite a few of them were Hogwarts age.

Tara blushed slightly. "Mum and Gran thought it would be good for me after leaving – America," she said softly. And her father and brother and the abuse. "My mum talked about how a few clans had some disagreement over how their children were taught here a century or so ago. Most of them stay home taught the way Queen Maeve did before Hogwarts was created."

Hermione nodded as they made it to the school. "She was the four founder's inspiration."

They came up to the entrance to see Professor Umbridge looking even worse for wear, her toady face more sickly as a furious looking Kathleen McClay stood over her looking regal in her flowing robes and long curly blond hair, the two were polar opposites. There was a student's chest and two boxes waiting by her.

"Mum?" Tara asked as she hurried up the steps.

Kathleen looked her daughter's way then to Harry and Hermione. "I'm sorry sweet one," she said clenching her jaw just a little. "I will not have you staying in a place that enforces such methods of tyranny over children. High Inquisitor indeed, you think too highly of yourself Dolores."

"And you think too little of the Ministry's arm, Kathleen," Umbridge bit back.

Kathleen's eyes went dark blue and Umbridge actually looked fearful. "We shall see," Kathleen told her as Tara shook her, head tears coming to her eyes clasping her mother's hand.

"I don't want to leave, Mum," Tara said. "Ginny's here, Hermione and Harry…"

Kathleen stroked Tara's cheek. "We will talk about it at home, sweetheart," she said nodding to where a carriage was coming up the road from Hogsmeade. "Help the driver with your things."

Tara let out a breath of disbelief looking to Hermione and Harry who were just as stunned. Tara went to her trunk and opened it. Kathleen sighed as she went over to her and the two talked quietly for a moment. Kathleen kissed Tara's cheek as Tara took something out and closed it. She went to her friends and hugged Hermione, handing her a shirt.

"Ginny let me borrow it," Tara said wiping tears from her eyes.

"I'll see she gets it," Hermione said.

Tara nodded then looked to Harry then surprisingly hugged him, but he returned it. "I'll keep a watch out," she whispered. "You aren't alone, I believe in you."

Harry smiled as he hugged her tight then let her go. Kathleen nodded to them stroking back a bit of messed up hair on Harry's hair she got Tara in the carriage and looked to Umbridge. "Be careful where you tread Dolores," she warned the Professor. "Your handling of this will be noted."

"I'm sure it will," Umbridge replied.

Harry saw Hermione slip something tucked inside Ginny's shirt into her robes as the two women spoke to each other. He looked her way but she shook her head slightly. The carriage was on its way to Hogsmeade and Umbridge looked to the two of them. "You will not speak of this to anyone or detention for you both," she warned them and went back inside.

"I can't believe it," Harry said looking to the disappearing carriage.

"Ginny's going to be heart-broken," Hermione said as they went inside. They made it to the Gryffindor's common room and Hermione took out what was in her robes. It was a silver tray the size of Hermione's palm with a silver quill in a tray to the side.

"What is it?" Harry asked. "It's too tiny to write with."

Hermione smiled as she took the quill out of its tray watching as they both grew in size to hold a sheet of paper. "It's an Accordia… a messenger," she told Harry. "They were created for when an owl wasn't available."

"I've never seen one before in Diagon Alley," Harry replied taking up the real looking quill that was full sized as well.

"That's because they're expensive as well as in shops that don't contain much about Quidditch," Hermione told him. "You write your message and the name of the person you want to send it to and when you replace the quill it's instantly sent there. Most likely Tara's mum has one as well so she could write to Tara while in school."

Harry blinked at this. "What did Tara want to give it to Ginny for then?"

Hermione gave him a look. "Umbridge and Malfoy's group read everything that comes in. This way Tara will know what's going on."

**oooooooooo**

**March - The Night before the Night of the Full Moon **

"Do you think he could be a little more obvious?" Buffy asked as she put a stick of gum in her mouth offering the pack to Willow who took a piece. The two were headed for the school library.

Willow shrugged. "As least we know it's me he's lurking around after." The came by the computer labs and Jenny was just leaving.

"Who's lurking?" Jenny asked as she locked the door to her classroom. Willow and Buffy had gone home only to return when Giles reminded them that the Werewolf would be out again. They had a hunt on their hands.

"Wesley," Buffy said pointing at the Computer teacher. "You should do something about that, him being a pervert, lusting after teenage girls."

Jenny's brown eyes narrowed. "What's she talking about?" she asked Willow.

The redhead shrugged. "I've seen him, um, watching."

"Where?" Jenny asked getting serious.

"Outside the house," Willow replied.

"When you patrol with me, that's a double skanky pervert," Buffy told Jenny. "We went over to the magic shop last week and when we came out he was trying to hide behind a newspaper just outside of it."

Jenny looked very concerned. "How long as this been going on?"

"Weeks," Buffy said trying to look very serious knowing the more she said the more Wesley was going to be in trouble.

"Right," Jenny said firmly, she briskly walked towards the library.

"What are you doing Buffy?" Willow hissed to her friend as Buffy dragged her along in Jenny's wake.

"Wesley's been dragging my butt all through stupid 'Council Authorized' training ever since he got here and Giles tells me to play along with it. Its payback," Buffy said as they saw Jenny stiff arm the swinging doors to the library open. "Hurry, we can't miss this!"

Willow was forced to keep up since Buffy held her hand. They looked through a crack in the doors to see Jenny standing there in front of the two unsuspecting British men at the main table. "I want you to explain yourself," Jenny said to Wesley.

"E-excuse me?" Wesley said surprised at the vehemence in the woman's voice.

"Jenny?" Giles said taking his glasses off as he stood up from his seat.

"Willow and Buffy just told me that you've been stalking Willow," Jenny told the younger man.

Giles looked to Wesley wanting an answer to this as well. The younger Watcher straightened his tie looking scared but trying to hide it. "I was watching Ms. Rosenberg to see if she was using magic," he said in a clipped tone that barred no argument from him since he was the official Watcher in Sunnydale.

To bad it didn't work. Jenny's eyes narrowed. "Is that a metaphor? Using magic?" She came up to him and pushed a finger into his chest. "You like watching young girls, Mr. Pryce?"

"Wind-," he started to correct her when the finger dug harder into his chest. "I-I-I assure you, Ms. Calendar. I have no-no interest in young Willow that way."

Jenny stared him down and he began to sweat. "I find you near her, watching in any way shape or form and the 'all high Watcher's Council' won't find enough of you to bury," she told him in a deadly tone of voice only a mother could bring out. It was dead silent for a long minute. "Got me?"

Wesley nodded quickly as sweat trickled down his forehead. "C-clearly, Ms. Calendar."

Jenny looked him over with a critical eye. "Werewolf tonight, right?" she asked Giles still staring Wesley down.

"Yes, yes, right," Giles said watching her with a mixture of surprise and joy.

"I'm coming with you then," she said then pointed to Wesley muttering something and Wesley sat down on the end of the table looking pale.

"Wills," Buffy said. "I think Jenny's scarier than my mom. I didn't think that was possible."

"Jenny knows curses," Willow told her proudly as they pretended like they just got there and came in. Jenny watched Wesley who backed up a few feet from the two girls looking anywhere but at them.

"I'll be in the stacks, uh… researching," he said quickly leaving the group. Xander came in with Cordelia a moment later.

"I don't know who it was," Cordelia was complaining to Xander. "Some icky looking girl, all in black, the slut, and not at all tasteful." They came up to the others and she looked to Buffy. "I know black is in but not in if it makes you look like a low end slut."

Buffy nodded. "I know I've never enjoyed low end slutting."

Willow bit her lip so she didn't giggle as Cordelia gave a little glare to Buffy. "You know, you act dumb but you know what I'm talking about." She looked to Willow. "At least you look normal nowadays."

"What's got you in such a bitchy mood today?" Buffy said scowling. She had a hard enough time teaching Willow fashion, she didn't want her friend to regress.

"Some girl was blocking the entrance to the parking lot," Xander said putting a hand on Cordelia's arm looking like he wished she'd shut up, or at least be nice.

"Just staring at the school, it was like Stephen King freaky," Cordelia continued to complain to them as she plopped down into a chair and began to search through her bag. "Wouldn't even move when I honked at her like twenty times."

"Just let it go Cordy," Xander said sitting down across from her.

Cordelia's eyes blazed. "If she goes to this school she is so getting ignored by me."

Buffy leaned against the table. "Sounds like she did more than just stand there."

"Well there was some arguing… and name calling," Xander replied.

"Well, with the arguing and name calling," Buffy said looking to Giles. "Can't let name calling go, no sir."

"Quite," Giles said pushing up his glasses. "If the teenage crises are over let's move on to important matters. Tonight is a full moon and our werewolf has yet to be found." Buffy raised her hand. "Yes Buffy?" Giles asked.

"Can we get mochas before we go?" she asked. Willow smiled at that.

"Only if I can get a non-fat," Cordelia added.

"And donuts," Xander chimed in.

Giles sighed. "Does no one take this seriously?" He looked to his girlfriend.

"Of course they do Rupert," she said. "But if you start out with it, they won't whine the whole way through."

Giles sighed then nodded. "Very well."

The teens were off for the door. Jenny smiled as she leaned over and kissed him. "You know they would have done it anyway. We better catch up with them or Buffy and Cordelia will have non-fat for everything."

Giles winced at that as they took up their supplies and the tranquilizer gun and left. Wesley came out a few minutes later to see they were all gone. He frowned at being left behind again.

**oooooooooo**

"Here wolfy, wolfy, wolfy," Xander said whistling softly.

"Yeah, that's going to work, we aren't hunting Cujo," Buffy said walking next to him through the thick forested area. They had split up into three groups. Buffy and Xander, Cordelia and Giles, and Willow and Jenny. Mostly so Xander and Cordelia wouldn't make out, and Buffy and Willow wouldn't talk non-stop. They were back up at make out point and like before there were plenty of cars parked there.

"You sure about that?" Xander asked. "A werewolf sort of is like Cujo."

Buffy made a face at that. "I don't remember Cujo being huge and contagious," Buffy reminded him.

"But scary," Xander said.

They stopped when they heard something move ahead of them in the trees. Something flickered in their eyesight. Something big ran through the shadows and Buffy took off after them. Xander followed at a slower pace as he fumbled with Willow's cell phone. He pressed a button as he ran. "Help here!" he called out into it. "Werewolf!"

Buffy ran after the light colored creature. She was almost on it when another huge creature plowed into it. Buffy backed off to see a darker werewolf attacking it. "Whoa!" Xander exclaimed coming up behind Buffy to see what was happening.

There were more sounds coming through the woods and Willow and Jenny came up with Giles right behind them. "Wh-," the British man started to ask when he saw what was going on. "Two?" he got out under his breath.

Cordelia came up panting a little under her breath. "I didn't think you could run that fast for being such an old guy," she said catching her breath when she saw what was going on. "That's so not something I wanted to see."

Willow was standing next to Buffy as the fighting continued. "That's not normal fighting, is it?" Willow asked.

"Uh no," Buffy said. "That would be some sort of sadistic form of-," she stopped when the darker wolf howled. "That would be a werewolf's form of a happy."

The werewolves collapsed after that sleeping on the ground. "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about them killing anyone tonight," Xander said.

"Better to be safe than sorry," Giles said as he shot the darker male wolf with a tranquilizer then the other lighter one.

They stood there for a long moment not sure what to do. "You think they have puppies?" Willow asked. They looked her way and she shrugged looking surprised she said it. "Just askin'."

"That would be way up on the freak-ola factor," Xander said as Cordelia made a face.

"If we're done I'm going home," the brunette told the group.

"Yes, of course," Giles said as he found a place to sit. "We'll stay here and wait for sunrise."

Cordelia motioned to Xander who waved to his friends and headed off behind his girlfriend. They were official now, even though the Cordettes hated Cordelia for dating a loser.

Willow sat down by Buffy while Jenny settled in by Giles. "This is going to be a fun night," Willow replied.

"You already got your caffeine and sugar," Buffy told her. "You should be tripping the light fantastic."

"Oh I am," Willow replied. "I'm ready for the long haul." She looked a little embarrassed. "I think I had a little too much mocha."

"Here it comes," Giles said as the sun started to break over the horizon. The girls had kept themselves entertained by talking about everything. The adults; Jenny slept and Giles held her making them both happy.

Buffy yawned as she and Willow got up. "Good, my mom had a hard enough time letting me sleep over at Will's on a school night. I really could use some though so I can focus in class."

They watched as the two werewolves changed form. They were all surprised at one form, the other they'd never seen.

"Oz?" Willow asked.

Oz sat up looking around at the forest then to his naked form then over to Willow. "Willow," he got out as the female of the two sat up.

"Well, this is new," she said looking to them. She was slender but with curves and dirty blond hair. "You're the one." She stood up and came Willow's way.

Buffy stood in her path. "What's the sitch?" she asked firmly.

"She's the non-werewolf that Oz has been hanging onto," the young woman said pointing at Willow. "They don't belong together."

"Well after last night I'd say you're right," Buffy told her.

"Wait," Oz said getting up and he found some greenery to cover himself up with. "I- we don't know what we do as a werewolf," he said coming Willow's way. "She's just another werewolf." He looked very sincere about it.

Willow chewed on her lip as she looked to him. She glanced over at Buffy who gave her the look that she better be honest. "O-oz, I like you," she told him with a nervous smile. "B-but as a friend."

The young woman laughed and Oz looked a little heart-broken. "I told you, I can smell it on her."

"Smell? What smell?" Buffy asked.

"It's um, a werewolf thing," Oz said looking a little embarrassed.

Giles interrupted by clearing his throat. "Yes, well, we need to find a way to make sure that this won't happen. You endanger lives by being free during the full moon."

The young woman shrugged. "Survival of the fittest, man."

Buffy smiled tightly. "That's the wrong answer."

"What are you going to do about it? Comment on my fashion sense like that brunette bimbo outside the school yesterday?" the young woman replied sarcastically.

Buffy grabbed her around the neck faster than you could blink and the young woman fought against it until she realized that Buffy, though smaller, was stronger. "You've been killing people and that doesn't happen in Sunnydale."

"Who the hell are you?" the woman asked as she struggled to get loose from the iron tight grip.

"I'm the Slayer, one that keeps the law of all things mystical," Buffy told her with a smirk. "Which means your ass is mine."

"I can take care of it," Oz told them as he looked to Willow one last time. "It'll be okay."

Willow came into the library after school. She was dead on tired and was in desperate need of a nap. Buffy was there sound asleep with her head on the table and Giles was asleep in a chair at the end, only looking more reserved in an upright manner with his head on his chest.

Buffy opened her eyes when Willow sat down across from her. "Oh god, is it bed time yet?"

Willow smiled as she rested her arms on the table and laid her head down on them. "We can take a nap before then, right?"

"Sure," Buffy said.

"What happened with Oz and skanky stalker chick?" Willow asked with a yawn.

Buffy yawned after her. "They left town. Oz swore to Giles and me on a stack of box of guitar picks that there was a place up north that would secure them. Apparently there are more werewolves than we thought," Buffy replied. "They'll make it by tonight."

"Can he do that?" Willow asked as she got sleepy. "He's a student."

"Eh, his cousin's a werewolf too, that's how it got infected," Buffy said as her voice drifted off.

Xander came in a few minutes later and saw that everyone was still asleep. He pulled up a chair by Willow and joined them. It was the quietest meeting they'd ever had.

**oooooooooo**

**To be continued - **

Spells -

Separate


	22. Chapter 22

**Um yeah… it's been a long time since I've gotten around to writing this. It was one of those… problem chapters. This chapter is really, really long. I was going to break it into two chapters but I couldn't find a good spot, so you get all 30 plus pages at once. Enjoy.**

**oooooooooo**

**A month later towards the end of April**

"So," Joyce asked Buffy at the dinner table. "What's wrong?" Buffy looked her way warily. "I've read all the parenting books. Nothing will surprise me."

Buffy looked to her chicken and potatoes. She had stabbed the already dead piece of fowl to death again; she had moved her peas around a bit but hadn't eaten more than two bites. "You remember that guy Angel?" she asked.

Joyce looked a little thoughtful. "That college boy that was tutoring you in history?" Joyce asked.

Buffy nodded. "Right… I-I," she stopped and looked away. "Oh god," she muttered. "He and I are dating. _Were_ dating," she corrected. "Um, going through a serious off-again phase right now."

Joyce smiled as she took up a piece of chicken with her fork. "Don't tell me. He's changed. He's not the same guy you fell for?"

Buffy looked surprised at her mom as across town Willow looked out the window at her house. Jenny was in her study, studying and Willow was in her room, worrying.

The red head nibbled on her lip a little as she looked out the window into the darkness. Her light wasn't on; she learned that she couldn't see out if the light was on. Angelus had been coming around more often once darkness fully set in. She was grateful she didn't have any pets, and Jenny's warding around the house kept any and all undead and minions of the undead out of the house and out of the others houses as well.

She turned a little when she heard Jenny come down the hallway. "Willow?" Jenny asked as she turned the light on and looked into her room. "What are you doing in the dark?" she asked coming in.

"Watching," Willow replied as she shyly held up a stake.

"He can't come in," Jenny told her as she came over her way. "It'll be okay."

Willow nodded. "How's the translation coming?"

Jenny sighed. "It's coming. I'm getting a drink. Do you want something?"

Willow shook her head. Jenny smiled at her as she left the room. Willow went over and almost turned the light off. "He can't get in," she said softly. He had left three dead frogs and a torn up puppy on her doorstep last night and it freaked her out to no end. She and Jenny buried them, though Jenny had to touch them all, and they said a prayer over them, then Willow cried over the puppy. She felt bad for the frogs but ew, they were frogs.

She went over to her computer and sat down booting it up. She had put in an application for a patent on a program and she was hoping it had come through. Behind her looking in through the window was the familiar face of Angelus. Watching.

**oooooooooo**

**The next morning**

"I had a thought," Buffy said as she and her friends walked into the school.

"A thought, how original," Xander replied with a smile as he opened the door for them ushering them in.

"About what?" Willow asked. She was a little creeped out. There had been an envelope on their doorstep that morning with pictures of her sitting at her computer and Jenny sleeping in her bed in it. Buffy had gotten pictures of her and her mom all of them drawn by Angelus.

"I haven't found Angel-," Buffy started.

"-us," Xander finished and Buffy gave him a dirty look and he gave her one back. They all knew that Xander liked Angel even less now than when he was just 'Deadboy'.

"And?" Willow asked trying to move them from the sore point between them both as they made their way to their lockers.

Buffy leaned up against the lockers by Willow's as the redhead began to work the combination on her locker to open it. "I understand that Angel," Buffy stressed the name at Xander, "is dangerous, more dangerous with Spike and Dru around."

"We don't really know about Spike," Willow said putting a few books from her backpack into her locker.

"No one's seen him since that deal with the bug guy and the church," Xander said nodding with Willow.

"Unless I've staked him myself I don't believe it," Buffy replied. "Anyway," she said getting to her point. "I know Will's got the power and Xander you're all heart. But you guys don't really know much about hand to hand combat, or even in any physical shapeliness to get away from anyone."

Xander looked to Willow then they looked at Buffy. "Still here," Xander said looking to his body showing the Slayer it was all there. "I'm doing better in fighting."

"An-and I'm good at running," Willow said looking a little worried that Buffy might start to think they shouldn't help her anymore with guarding Sunnydale, "especially when there's nasty thingies chasing me." Xander nodded in agreement that they both had done well in that area.

"That's my point," Buffy said as Willow closed her locker and then went a few lengths down to Buffy's and she took her turn at opening her own locker. "There was the fight with Angel where almost none of us got out of that, and chasing the werewolves down," she said a bit more quietly looking to the students around them. "We don't have Angel helping us and Jenny may have found the spell but if she can't do it then we, I, need to make sure I don't get my two best friends killed by my ex-boyfriend."

She slammed her locker shut and headed down towards Xander's locker. Willow smacked his shoulder when he looked pleased at Buffy's announcement about Angel being an 'ex'. "Cordelia?" Willow muttered.

"I can dream," Xander muttered back.

Buffy stopped by Xander's locker and waited for them. "So I've decided," she told them as they made it to her and Xander began to open his locker. "I'm going to start you guys training with me."

Xander smacked the edge of his locker into his face in shock as it slipped out of his grasp at this news. "What?" he asked holding his nose as the two non-physically fit friends looked her way.

Buffy nodded. "Starting today after school." She looked to them then headed for the library.

Willow and Xander looked to each other. "Is this a good thing?" Xander asked.

Willow shook her head as she watched Buffy turn the corner wondering what had gotten into her friend. "I'm thinking in the terms of not."

**oooooooooo**

**Later that afternoon…**

Giles stood on the edge of the running track behind the school watching as Buffy paced Xander and Willow as they ran laps. All of them were in their Sunnydale gym outfits of grey shorts and maroon t-shirts with 'Sunnydale' printed in yellow on them.

Buffy looked as fresh as a daisy, her golden blond hair back in a ponytail and her jogging gait like a trained athlete.

Xander and Willow on the other hand, didn't look so – sprightly. Willow had her long red hair back in a ponytail as well, but she looked exhausted. Where she had sweat glowing on her, Xander had it pouring off of him. It matted down his dark hair which dripped down his face and it made his shirt cling to his body, and not in a pretty way.

Buffy came around the bend and towards Giles's position, he motioned her over and she ran his direction. She made it up to him jogging in place.

"Um, yes, Buffy," he started. "I think five times around the track is quite a bit for Willow and Xander."

"Five is nothing," Buffy said with a smile.

"For a Slayer maybe, for two untrained teenagers whose idea of exercise is eating twinkies and typing on the computer – I think not," Giles told her gently. Actually he had been quite pleased at her foresight of making sure her friends were fit enough to do what they did every night to help her. However, Buffy was expecting them to be as good as her, which would never happen.

Buffy looked back to her friends then to Giles. "Too much?" she asked.

He nodded slightly. "Maybe to start off with, yes."

Buffy chewed on her upper lip a little then jogged towards her friends who were coming around the bend. "Enough for today?" she asked them.

Xander stopped and took two steps to the grassy area where the football team usually practiced and collapsed on the ground gasping for air. "Thank the god of all stopping godliness!" he said.

Willow slowed down and sat next to him, but in a more graceful way, as Buffy came up to them. She noticed how exhausted they were. "Sorry," Buffy said, "I got a little carried away there." The two looked her way and she grimaced. "More than a little?"

"Just a little," Willow said wiping her face off with her sleeve. "We just aren't athletes, Buffy."

"Could be why we're the outcasts," Xander said as he regained his breath. "Just not good for anything but being the Slayer's friends."

"You guys aren't bad," Buffy said as she looked to the track, she hadn't stopped jogging yet. She had a lot of pent up energy. "I'll go easier on you tomorrow." She headed off to run more laps.

"Tomorrow?" Xander asked as he looked to Willow as Giles came their way.

"Apparently this isn't a random one timey thing," Willow said as Giles looked for a space and sat down by them.

"It is a good idea," Giles said handing Willow a towel. She smiled in thanks and wiped off her face. "I would feel more secure knowing you were out there with Buffy having some training."

"What's with the gung-ho-ness?" Xander asked. "Usually she's trying get out of training to go shopping or hanging out."

"Angel," Willow replied.

Giles pushed up his glasses and nodded. "She believes the return of Angelus is her fault." He stopped as Buffy ran by them and she was moving fast. When she was out of earshot he continued on. "She hasn't found a way to stop him and he's not only targeting herself and Joyce, but you Willow and Jenny."

"Not me though," Xander said a little sarcastically. "I feel hurt."

Willow patted his arm then made a face at the sweat there and wiped her hand off on the towel. "She'll find him, we'll help her," she said looking to Giles. "And Jenny's working on the curse. That's all she does lately."

They watched as Buffy went around again. "Doesn't she ever get tired?" Xander asked coughing as dirt the Slayer kicked up wafted over them.

"She's going to wear herself out if something doesn't happen soon," Giles said worriedly. Ever since her encounter with the Master, Buffy was stronger and faster than any Slayer on record. Not that he noted this for the council, especially not with Wesley hanging around.

Speak of the devil, Giles motioned and Buffy slowed down when he saw Wesley coming their way with the Sunnydale cheerleaders not far behind. The squad was coming out to practice on the field, many of them looking lustfully at the dapper young man in the suit pants and tie.

Buffy came over and dropped down by Xander who was still laying there. She made a noise. "I can't stand him."

"Looks like Cordelia can't keep her eyes off of him," Willow said with a little smile.

Xander bolted upright at that. "What?" he asked looking around. He spotted this and he scowled. "That's my woman," he muttered standing up.

"How very caveman like of you Xander," Buffy said as she scooted over by Willow.

"Huh?" he said glancing at them only to tense when he saw Cordelia watching Wesley's behind as he came towards them. She whispered something to one of the other cheerleaders and they giggled at the remark. The British man didn't even notice.

"Buffy, I say," Wesley called out as he looked to the red clay track like it was a foreign object then stepped out onto it with his highly polished shoes and came across. "We did have an appointment for an hour ago."

Xander glared at Cordelia who finally noticed him. She arched an eyebrow as if to say 'what'? He let out a frustrated sigh as he turned to his friends. "This whole dating thing, it's such a crock of sh-," he started when he saw Buffy and Willow frown at this. "Shinkies."

Buffy smiled as she stood up. "Shinkies, that's a good one," she said as she went to pat his back only to see how sweaty he was and pulled her hand away.

"Like I was saying," Wesley said impatiently. "You were supposed to meet me at the library an hour ago."

"I know," Buffy said lending a hand to Willow who took it gratefully to stand up as Giles got up as well. "I had more important things to do."

"Buffy," Giles said with a little reprimand.

"She is mine to watch over now Rupert," Wesley bit out.

"And you're doing so well," Buffy said with the same bite he spoke to Giles in. "I need a shower. Will?" she asked as she ignored the young Watcher.

"I want to shower too," Xander said following them as they headed for the gym doors.

"Not in the girls locker room," Buffy told him.

"I can pretend I'm a girl," Xander whined happily as they went off leaving the two men alone on the track with the cheerleaders getting started on their first cheer.

Willow looked back to see them face off. If she was a betting girl, which she wasn't, she'd put her money on Giles. Wesley backed down and left as Buffy yanked on the collar of her shirt pulling her out of the way of a post she was blinded headed for.

"Will, mind on where you're walking, not the cheerleaders," Buffy whispered. Xander had gone ahead of them.

Willow looked shocked. "I wasn't -," she splurted out. "I was watching Giles a-and Wesley!"

Buffy looked back them then over to the cheerleaders not that far away then back to Willow with a knowing look. "Uh huh, tell me another one, you ladies woman you."

Willow went red. "I- I, it wasn't that," she stammered as Xander came back their way wondering what was taking them so long to head for the gym.

Buffy smiled as she waved Xander on ahead to the boys side of the gym. "I hear Becca Knowlen is single and some are questioning her liking for boys," she started.

Willow ran for the girls locker room and Buffy chuckled from behind her.

**oooooooooo**

**Three days later…**

Willow walked along beside Buffy as they wandered past the park towards the school. Jenny was there working on the curse translation and the two girls were supposed to meet her there after patrolling so she could take them home.

"…I know it's important to figure out this curse," Willow was telling her friend as she handed back the can of soda they were sharing, "but I want Jenny to find it so she's not stuck to her computer all the time."

"Back when she had a life?" Buffy asked as she took a sip of the soda and handed it back. "I think Giles is missing his girlfriend as well." Willow and Buffy smiled at that. "I don't understand it, I've scoured Sunnydale over three times and I still haven't found him," she told her friend with a shake of her head.

"He does have Drusilla and she does understand magic," Willow replied as she took a sip of soda.

"But she's insane, how does an insane vampire do magic?" Buffy asked.

"Just like everyone else I would imagine," Willow said with a straight face as she handed the soda back.

Buffy pulled them to a stop and looked to her friend. "Metaphor?" she asked and Willow nodded. Buffy rolled her eyes and they continued on. "Sheesh, it's a running gag. But you made a funny Will."

Willow giggled at that. They walked in silence for a while. "I was hoping when Jenny figures this curse out we could go to England, maybe find Harry and my parents."

Buffy grinned. "That would be so stellar, Will," she said happily. "You think he's hot?"

Willow made a face. "Sisters don't think about their brothers that way, that's just wrong."

Buffy smiled. "You know what I mean," she told her and Willow nodded that she did as they went around the park by one of the cemeteries just to make sure it was okay. "Still, if he's hot, you gotta at least send me a picture."

"I don't know, it's kinda weird," Willow said as Buffy threw the empty soda can away and they walked across the street for the school. "I've always been an only child; you, me, Xander, all of us, now a brother."

Buffy nodded as they headed for the sidewalk on the other side. "I don't know what I'd do with a kid sibling."

"Is Giles here?" Willow asked noting that some of the other lights were on in the school.

Buffy shook her head as they headed for the stairs to the main doors. "He's with some old guy, looking at some old stone thingy at the one museum thingy place," she told her.

"That's a lot of thingies," Willow said with a smile.

Buffy shrugged. "It's a thi-," she stopped as they heard a woman scream from the bowels of the school.

Buffy went off into a sprint almost taking the door off its hinges as she ran into the school. Willow followed behind as there was another scream. It was up on the second floor. Buffy was just starting up the stairs as Willow made it halfway down the hall. Willow ran as fast as she could as she went into the foyer almost going up the stairs when she saw two figures on the second floor walkway outside in the courtyard through the door windows. She hurried out to see Jenny and Angelus. The vampire was stalking her guardian.

"Sorry Jenny," he was saying as he grabbed Jenny's neck lifting the woman off her feet as she scrambled to get him to let go. "This is where you get off."

"Protego!" Willow yelled pointing at them.

Angelus's hand slipped from Jenny's neck as a shield formed around the teacher. He growled as he saw Willow on the courtyard below. Then he smiled. "Willow, my red headed witch, I've been waiting for you to come out and play with me." He jumped the balcony railing only to be tackled by Buffy who had been running at full speed down the corridor towards the two of them.

The two landed on the ground with a force that cracked many of the tiles below them. Willow stepped back as the two began to trade blows. She glanced up to see Jenny hold her neck coughing to get in some needed air. Even from that far away Willow could see the usually stalwart woman was trembling in fear. "Get away from them Willow!" Jenny finally called out to her as Angelus landed a lucky punch on Buffy knocking her back.

"Not just yet," Angelus said running towards the red head, his face in full vampire mode.

"Expelliarmus!" Willow cast as she backed up. Angelus growled in anger as he was thrown back into the side of the balcony. He screamed in pain as he hit so hard parts of the concrete shattered and he seemed to be stuck in mid-air.

Jenny ducked down from the flying rubble as Buffy was waiting for Angelus to fall down. He growled in pain as he pushed behind him and he slid off of a piece of metal rebar used to form the concrete. He held onto it holding himself over an angry Slayer, his back had a hole and blood dripping from it. He tried reaching for the railing above him to climb up.

"What's the matter tough guy?" Buffy shot out. "Can't keep it up now that you're running on a no soul engine? 'Cause Angel could, let me tell you."

He dropped down with a roar and she hit him but his weight took them both down. She flipped him off and got up. "Impedimenta!" Willow got out and Angelus seized up a little and Buffy hit him with a right hook so hard it sounded like a shot. Angelus was knocked back into the wall behind Willow making the young woman dive for the ground to avoid getting hit.

Buffy ran up and dragged Willow away as they looked at the cloud of dust from the dirt and wall that was ruined. "Go help Jenny," Buffy told her. "I'll take care of him once and for all." She drew out a stake and headed for where Angelus had landed.

Willow was exhausted, the spells were mega powerful but they drained her. She headed for the stairs coming up to the second floor she saw the damage done there. "Jenny?" she called out softly as she heard Buffy curse down below. She picked her way through the rubble and found Jenny unconscious. There was a bruise on her forehead and a little blood on her chest where she had been struck.

"Buffy!" she called out looking over the end of the balcony down to where Buffy was hunting around turning over chunks of rubble down there. Buffy looked her way. "I think we need to call an ambulance!"

Buffy let a piece of rubble fall from her hands and came up the stairs. "Angelus?" Willow asked as she handed her cell phone to Buffy to make the 911 call, her hands were shaking too badly to punch the numbers in.

"Gone, he'll be back," Buffy said grimly as she put the phone to her ear. "I don't even want to figure out how to explain this to my mom."

Willow sat down by Jenny and stroked back her dark hair. This just sucked.

**oooooooooo**

Spike sat in his wheelchair watching as Drusilla flittered about the old mansion watching the ceiling as something whirled around in her pretty but daft head.

"The moon, Spike," she said to the ceiling, "it whispers things to me. All sorts of dreadful things." She stopped and looked to the entrance as Angelus came limping in. Spike's lip curled up in a smirk as he saw the other man was coated in dust and his clothing was bloody and torn. Not only that-. He flinched only a bit as Angelus grabbed his dislocated jaw and forced it back into place with a grinding crunch.

"Nice walk, Angelus?" he asked, the smirk coming through in his voice.

"Fine," he growled out as he passed his way bumping the blond vampire's head with his fist hard enough to rock him in his seat. "What did the moon tell you Dru?" Angelus asked as he came up to the insane woman. "Did you have a vision? Is something coming?"

She nodded with a sly grin. Spike saw that the back of Angelus's coat had a gaping hole in it with a blood stain all around it. He wondered what happened. "Oh yeah," she whispered as she clung to Angelus's shirt, "something terrible." She started on with little noises as Angelus smiled.

"Where?" he asked.

"A tomb, the museum," she said clapping her hands like a little girl that got her favorite present, "with a surprise inside."

Angelus stroked her long brunette locks and cupped her head. "You can see all that in your head?" he asked.

"No you ninny," Spike said, "she read it in the paper." He threw it the dark vampire's way.

Angelus caught it and looked at the picture on the front of a large rectangular block well over the size of any man with intriguing carvings in it, something mystical was found there. What a surprise, usually that meant something evil. "Oh, my," he said happily. "Things are looking up."

**oooooooooo**

**The next morning…**

Willow sat in a hard plastic chair in the ER watching as Jenny lay on a bed still unconscious. She had a heart monitor on and a gown with a light sheet over her. She looked to curtains that shut out the patients next to them and the hallway where staff and patients were walking. She saw that the curtains mauve color was getting lighter which meant morning had come. Agent Coltrane hadn't come by but she was sure she'd come by soon enough.

"Uh," Jenny got out as her hand went up to her head. Brown eyes tiredly opened and Willow stood up by her bed, the woman looked her way. "Willow? What happened?"

Willow looked worriedly at the curtains around them hoping no one was listening in. "You were hit by some concrete, Jenny. I-It was my fault, Angel and what I did," she started to ramble and Jenny touched her arm tiredly.

"I found it," Jenny told her. "Did you find it in my classroom?"

Willow looked confused. "Find what?"

"The curse, I got the translation."

Willow's eyes opened wide and she started to smile, for the first time a ray of hope. "You can do it then-," she started only to see Jenny close her eyes and shake her head then wince at the pain. "Why can't you do it? You're a gypsy, you do curses, I've seen you."

"It's Beltane tonight," Jenny said then her eyes focused just a little. "It is the next day, isn't it?" Willow nodded and Jenny looked relieved. "It's the day of purification. A holy Wiccan day, Willow," she told her as she sounded more tired. "I don't have the power, you need to get another Orb of Thesulah at the occult shop," she stopped and swallowed. Willow found her a glass of water with a straw and Jenny drank gratefully from it.

"Willow, if any day the Goddess would allow you to bring a good soul back to its body it is today," Jenny continued after resting just a minute as she felt her throat. The bruising from Angel grabbing her there was pretty nasty looking.

"Why me?" Willow asked. Wiccan magic was neat, but she felt like an electrical socket to the lines of magic in the Earth.

Jenny looked her over. "Why not you?" she asked back. "Willow, you have immense power. You can combine Wizard and Wiccan magic, but you have to believe in yourself. Believe that you have that power at your fingertips just like you do with Wizarding magic."

Willow looked away as she thought about it. She knew it was there, but she knew that darkness was there as well. She was tainted, Jenny said she would learn to live with it, it would never go away. "What do I need?" she asked as resolve came to her eyes.

Jenny smiled and patted her hand. "You need the spell, Angel broke my computer but it's on a disk in my class room. An Orb of Thesulah, you need to draw into a holy ground." She looked to make sure Willow understood. Not Christian holy ground, Wiccan holy ground, the woods, a pure, clean place.

"What about herbs and t-things like that?" Willow asked. She knew enough to know you needed just more than that.

Jenny shook her head again as her eyes closed. "The guides will help you, Willow. You have the power inside, use it." Willow watched for a moment. She realized that Jenny had fallen asleep.

The red head made a little confused face. She thought about asking Buffy, but she was in hot water with her mom who came and picked her up at the school last night and she was not happy. Maybe Xander would help her. She opened the curtain to see Agent Coltrane coming down the corridor looking into the curtained off areas. She saw Willow and with a gentle smile came her way.

"Willow, I heard about Ms. Calendar," she said looking in at Jenny sleeping.

"She should be okay, something hit a part of the school last night and it got her," Willow said.

Agent Coltrane nodded at this. "I talked with Mrs. Summers; she said she'd watch you until Ms. Calendar is released from the hospital." Willow nodded back. "It's about time for school, and I know its finals," Agent Coltrane told her. Willow's eyes opened wide at that.

"W-we have to go then," Willow said worriedly as she grabbed her jacket from the chair she was sitting in. "I-, um," she looked to Jenny and leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Be safe," she told her then she hurried out of the ER with Agent Coltrane in tow. The Agent looked surprised but pleased that ONE of the children in her care actually wanted to go to school.

**oooooooooo**

"Well, well, well," Spike said as he lit up another cigarette watching as Angel's henchmen helped in breaking open a big stone 'coffin' showing a demony looking stone figure inside of it. More interesting was the big sword sticking out of it's chest. They were all in the main hall of Angel's mansion, the sun had come out but they were well away from the sun destroying light. "How many white coat namby-pambies did you have to kill to get that thing?" he asked.

"Lots of them," Angelus replied as he looked it over. "Acathla, I'd heard about it. Who knew it'd be here?"

"I did, Daddy," Dru said twirling up to him as she looked the statue over. "It will kill so many. All of the world, all of the little humans."

Angelus smiled at that. "It will, won't it," he replied happily. Behind them Spike looked anything but pleased at this as he flicked ash off the end of his cigarette. Angelus reached in and took a hold of the hilt of the sword and pulled with all his might. The sword didn't budge and Spike began to laugh making Angelus angry.

**oooooooooo**

**At school…**

It was ten minutes to the first bell and Willow found herself drawn to where Buffy was slouched on a bench outside the school looking angry and depressed. Willow knew her finals were coming and she was worried about them, but she realized that tonight after she got this orb she would be trying something that only really old people had done, long ago in another country.

She was scared.

Not just if she failed, but she would fail Buffy, she would fail Angel. More importantly she would fail Jenny who had given her trust to her. She sat down next to Buffy and they both looked about the same.

"Bad?" Buffy asked sullenly.

Willow nodded and glanced at her hands. "You?"

Buffy nodded the same. "My mom had the biggest-," she looked around trying to think of a word for it, "wig out!" she got out. She shook her head in disgust. "I'm trying to save the world and she's grounding me until I go to my Dad's for the summer! And can I tell her who I am?" she lowers her angry voice when students start looking her way. "No! God forbid my mother knows who I actually am!"

Willow looked to see that her best friend really was depressed. "What are you gonna do?" she asked softly.

Buffy shook her head as she shrugged then she sighed in frustration. "I can't stay inside, I have to go patrolling to find Angel and his little spawns of hell. I don't see anyway out of eternal grounding until I'm sixty."

Willow smiled just a little at that and Buffy smiled back as she tucked her hair back over her ear. "Jenny figured out the spell," she told her.

Buffy sat up at that. "What?"

Willow nodded as she looked her way. "She can't do it though, not with what happened. She doesn't think she's all that strong." Buffy sunk back down to her depressed state and Willow touched her hand. "She told me I was supposed to do it," she told her. "Tonight, it's Beltane."

Buffy's brow furrowed. "What is that, a race car or something?"

Willow smiled fully now. "Wiccan holiday, a sabbat, Jenny and I were going to go to the coven one up north. But with Angel and everything…" she stopped and looked to her friend. "There will be a lot of earth magic tonight."

"So it's good then?" Buffy asked.

Willow nodded. "It's good."

"This is very bad," Giles said coming their way from the teacher's parking lot.

"What's with the bad?" Buffy asked. "Finals? Always with the bad."

"No, there was a news broadcast on the radio," Giles told them as he motioned them to get up and follow him inside the school. "The stone I was sent to look at yesterday, it was stolen during the night."

"Gee," Buffy said not looking impressed as the two girls looked his way, "a stone."

"All the people there were killed-, by PCP gangs," he said using the 'vampires did it' code as he opened the library door for them to see Xander and Cordelia making out on the large table. "Dear god," he said loudly. "There's no time for teenage hormones this morning!"

Xander pushed Cordelia off him and she tugged her skirt down. "Sorry," Xander said as he wiped lipstick off of his mouth.

Giles put his briefcase and files down on the counter and ran his fingers through his hair then took his glasses of looking to his charges. "This stone, I've made some calls to associates. More so when I learned it was taken with everyone dead."

"This is that one stone thingy at the museum, right?" Buffy asked as Giles handed her the morning paper with a picture of it on the front page, the same one Spike showed Angelus.

"I'm not quite certain but there can only be one person behind this," he replied. "Especially with the way they died."

"Deadboy," Xander said frowning. Buffy and Willow looked his way and he shrugged. "He's the only big evilness in town. And I for one say we stake the bastard."

Giles nodded but rolled his eyes a little. "Angelus, yes. N-not to stake him, but that it is him," he amended when Buffy's hazel eyes turned on him and the ex-Watcher saw it wasn't a happy look. "Which means whatever is in there is quite possibly something very evil."

"That's not new," Willow said looking at the picture with Buffy. "It is the Hellmouth."

"And we must find out what this stone contains," Giles told them. "I'll be researching with contacts. I know you all must go to your classes but I want you to come back when you can. This is very urgent."

"Urgent?" Wesley asked coming into the library. "What is?"

Buffy handed him the paper. "We better get to class." Willow and the others followed behind her as they left.

"Do you just try to piss off every good looking guy in the state of California?" Cordelia asked. "I mean, it's not like they're falling all over you."

"I need to go to Jenny's class," Willow told Buffy as the blond clenched her jaw willing herself not to hit Cordelia in school. Xander wasn't looking to happy at the brunette girl either. The Slayer nodded and Willow hurried off up to the second floor hoping that the substitute wouldn't be there early.

She opened Jenny's class with a key her Guardian had given her just in case she needed a safe place in the school. She went and searched around seeing the trashed computer and the ransacked room. She couldn't imagine what it was like to face off against Angelus. She had seen evil vampires, but it was worse because she knew the true soul of Angel. She slid open the drawers and looked about through the disks there. None of them looked like what she was looking for.

She pulled out pens and pencils to get underneath the pencil tray in the flat drawer of the desk when half of them rolled off the desk between that and the printer table. "Darn it," she muttered as she reached down and began to pull the stray writing utensils out when her hand hit something that wasn't normal.

Willow pulled out a yellow floppy disc and wondered if that was it. She when to another computer to the side of the room when the door opened and Principal Snyder stood there. "Ms. Rosenberg, what are you doing in here?"

Willow looked a little scared. "Je-, um, Ms. Calendar… she wanted me to run off some things for the teacher before she got here. You know she's hurt and if she's hurt she can't teach so they have another teacher for it-," she started to babble faster.

Principal Snyder held up his hand and she stopped watching it warily. "Just make sure you're to class on time, no exceptions!" he warned her pointing his stubby little finger at her and she flinched.

She nodded at that and he left. She deflated a little more then hurried to the computer and booted it up. Willow slid the disc into the drive and looked to see that it was the finished translation. Relief flooded through her as she sent it to print.

Being who she was she found the lesson for that day and left before the substitute showed up and headed for her first class.

**oooooooooo**

**Right after school…**

Willow looked around the street as she headed down the steps to a small magic shop where Jenny had brought her in a few times to get supplies. She had told Buffy she would be to the library as soon as she could, but she needed to do a few things first.

Buffy had been so shell shocked after finals were over she could have told her pretty much anything and she would have agreed. She sighed as she opened the door to the shop, she had gone over all of Buffy's classes with her the night before last but she could tell Buffy's mind wasn't on school.

"Young miss," the proprietor of the store said. "You aren't here with your mother this time?"

"No," Willow said not wanting to get into that story with him. "I came to get another Orb of Th-the-," she stopped and looked for her paper with the name on.

"Orb of Thesulah," the man said. "Your mother bought one a few weeks ago."

"It sorta broke," Willow said. "I was hoping to get her another one."

"Dropped it did you?" he said tsking her with his finger. "Children don't respect much nowadays." He closed the curtains to the shop and opened up the back curtains where the real stuff was kept.

"Yeah," she said looking repentant. She didn't need to act that part out, she felt bad for lying.

He took a box out and opened it showing the orb. "Not cheap, four hundred dollars."

Willow blanched at that. "Do you take credit cards?" she asked. He nodded and she pulled her wallet out with shaky hands. Jenny had given her one for emergencies.

To Buffy that would be nothing, she'd spend that on clothes and make up if her mom would let her. Willow liked to save, she had a good savings account and she had already started her college fund.

"Be careful with it this time, okay?" he told her as he handed her a slip to sign. She signed it and headed out pushing the box into her backpack. "Kids," she heard him say as the door closed shut.

Willow almost ran back to the school, she had a piece of glass that cost more than -, well not more than her computer, but it was a piece of glass!

She nearly got ran over at a stoplight as her legs complained a little. After running, dodging and ducking last night and having to run Buffy's 'training' workout her leg muscles were a little sore.

Willow made it back to the school just after five; she honestly wished she had her license so she could drive. She saw Buffy leaning resentfully against her mom's Jeep Cherokee and Joyce was in the driver's seat. Buffy stood up when she saw Willow coming down the sidewalk.

"Hey Will," Buffy said glancing at her mom in the car. "We gotta go."

"Where are you going?" Willow asked then her eyes widened. "Oh, trouble and grounding badness."

"We as in you and me, Agent Coltrane is having mom watch you until Jenny is out of the hospital," Buffy said.

Willow leaned in closer to whisper to her. "What about the study with the stone and Angel?" she asked worriedly. She smiled a little at Joyce who smiled just a little back.

"Not an option she's even willing to discuss," Buffy muttered as the window on the passenger side rolled down.

"Willow, I'll take you to see Jenny when I get Buffy home," Joyce told her.

"I could go, give moral support," Buffy offered.

Joyce scowled and Buffy's eyes went down not needing a verbal chastisement as she climbed into the front seat and Willow took one in the back. "How are you Willow?" Joyce asked as she pulled out of the school lane into regular traffic.

"I'm okay," Willow said watching them.

"And Jenny?" Joyce asked as she pulled onto Revello Drive.

"She woke up before I came to school, so I think that's pretty good," she started getting nervous. "I- I mean not that it's good that she got hurt, just that she's better than she was last night-."

"I think she gets it Will," Buffy told her.

Joyce smiled then pulled into the Summer's driveway. "Do not leave the house Buffy," Joyce told her sternly.

"Got it," Buffy muttered as she got out and shut the door and headed for the front door.

Joyce sighed in frustration as she looked to Willow in the rearview mirror. "I'm sorry Buffy's gotten you mixed up in her problems, Willow."

Willow shook her head looking worried. "Buffy's really good, Mrs. Summers. I think she's really good. She's nice and she's my friend, and before Jesse and Xander I didn't have many friends." She stopped as Joyce smiled a little.

The Jeep backed out of the drive and Joyce headed for the hospital. "I just don't know what gets into her," Joyce said as she looked back at her once more. "Do you have any idea? You are her best friend here in Sunnydale."

Willow shrugged. "Maybe she just gets a bad rap."

Joyce nodded and they were quiet there the rest of the way. They went up to where Jenny had a room now and saw that the raven haired woman was a bit more awake. She smiled at them as they came in.

"Willow, Joyce," Jenny said as she took Willow's hand holding it for a minute. "I haven't felt this awful – well, since the last time I was here. Seems someone always likes to go for my head."

Joyce nodded with a little smile. "Hopefully the last in a long while."

Jenny nodded at that. "Thank you for watching Willow."

"She's a good influence on Buffy, I'm worried Buffy might not be one on her," Joyce told her.

"Kids gotta grow, Buffy will find her way," Jenny said as she closed her eyes for a minute.

"I'll leave you two alone," Joyce said. "I'll be outside when you're done," she told Willow.

She left and the door shut. Jenny looked to Willow. "Are you okay?" she asked looking Willow over.

Willow nodded. "It was you that got hurt," she told her. Tears welled up as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I- I don't know if I can do this. Everything's just been wrong."

"Even finals?" Jenny asked as she rubbed Willow's arm.

"No, finals were okay. But this spell, and Buffy's mom is mad at her just because she doesn't know who Buffy really is, and now we're supposed to be helping Giles find out about this stone they think Angel took," Willow took in a breath and looked to her Guardian. "I don't think I want to be an adult if this is what it's like all the time."

Jenny smiled. "It's not that bad. Sometimes good things do happen."

Willow nodded but looked disbelieving. "Are you feeling better?"

Jenny nodded. "They think I'll be out of here tomorrow."

"Maybe we could wait until tomorrow," Willow replied but Jenny shook her head.

"I can feel it Willow," Jenny told her. "Tonight, get Rupert to help you at the school."

"I can't, Agent Coltrane has me at Buffy's house and I don't think we're going anywhere," Willow said.

"Did you get the Orb?" Jenny asked. Willow nodded. "Then have Buffy help you get out. You need to do it." Willow looked her way and Jenny smiled sleepily at her. "I don't want to get in the way of your parents, but I'd be proud of it if you were my kid." Willow flushed red a little but she smiled. Jenny smiled with her. "You can do it, believe in yourself. I believe in you, Buffy does."

Willow nodded and they talked for a bit longer until Joyce opened the door a little. "I need to get her home now," she told Jenny.

Jenny nodded and held Willow's hand looking at her firmly. "I'll see you tomorrow," Jenny told her.

Willow nodded and they headed out.

**oooooooooo**

**A few hours later…**

Willow looked out of Buffy's bedroom window to where Buffy was on the bit of roof just over the ground floor of the house. "I swear Will, I will not let you fall," Buffy whispered to her. Willow took her hand and climbed out. It was just after nine o'clock and Buffy's mom had fortunately gone to bed early with a headache.

Buffy got her down from the roof and Willow clung to her gladly on solid ground. "Remind me I don't like heights in the future," she whispered to her best friend.

Buffy smiled a little as she led her friend out of the front yard and down the sidewalk. "You got your mojo going?" Buffy asked. Willow nodded. "Okay, I'm going to go hunting for Angel and this stone thingy. You get to Giles and have him help you with the spell."

Willow nodded. "Good luck Buffy," she told her.

"You too Will," Buffy said with a smile and ran off into the night.

Willow did a half jog along the dark paths with her backpack with everything she needed in it and a spell in her mind and a bottle of holy water in her hand. Luckily she didn't encounter any vampires or other stray evil things that roam the streets of Sunnydale at night.

She made it into the library to see Xander and Cordelia at the large center table along with… "Kendra," she said softly and the Slayer looked her way.

Giles came out of his office and saw Willow there. "Buffy?" he asked.

"Out hunting Angel," Willow said coming in. "Kendra's here Giles."

"Yes, she came a few hours ago," Giles replied.

"Apparently there's a dark power arising in Sunnydale," Xander said from where he was flipping through Giles' old book.

"Is it the stone from the paper?" Willow said stopping at the table to look at Giles.

Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, he looked tired. "According to Kendra's Watcher it's the Tomb of Acathla."

"It does this whole 'I'm going to suck the whole world into Hell' thing," Cordelia said sounding a little bored and a little scared. "I'm not loving that part."

"What?" Willow asked paling a little as she sat down in the closet chair.

"Well, the, uh," Giles said putting his glasses on, "the Demon Universe exists in a dimension separate from our own." He sat down at the table with the rest of the group. "With one breath, Acathla will create a vortex, a-a kind of, um... whirlpool that will pull everything on Earth into that dimension, where any non-demon life will suffer horrible and... eternal torment."

Willow felt sick. "This is what Angel's planning on doing?"

"Angelus," Xander muttered. "He's a sick bastard vampire, not Deadboy." Everyone looked his way surprised at the vehemence in his voice, but he just shrugged not apologizing for it.

"I- don't want to be our only hope," Willow said looking at Giles. "I found – Jenny figured out the spell. I can do it tonight. B-but if Angel starts this Acathla guy how will it be any good if we're all in Hell?"

Kendra leaned down and pulled a sword from her bag. "Blessed by the knight who first slew the demon," she told them. Giles's eyes opened as he looked to it curiously. "If all else fails, this might stop it. I tink."

"Ooh. May I?" Giles asked she handed it over to him. "Thank you. Well, l-let's, uh, hope all else doesn't fail." He looked to it for a long moment before glancing to the group and he handed it back a little embarrassed. "Ah, what do you need for this curse to happen?" Giles asked.

"I need to get to holy ground, that's what Jenny said-," Willow started as a Vampire jumped over the mezzanine from the stacks and with a strong fist knocked Willow out.

She landed on the ground like a dead weight as everyone else scrambled away as four more vampires running came in. Cordelia screamed as one rushed at her. Xander shoved the one that attacked Willow into the one coming at Cordelia. Kendra grabbed the third vampire and shoved her into the book cage backing the shove with a sidekick to the head.

The fourth vampire jumped onto Giles's back knocking him into the table as Cordelia ran up the stairs towards the stacks to get away from everything.

Kendra ducked a roundhouse kick from the vampire she was fighting blocking several of their swings while Xander kept the two vampires away from Willow's prone form. Kendra staked one of Xander's vampires in the back turning it to dust as she held off the one in front of her.

Xander grabbed Willow and hauled her up the stairs as he was knocked into the bookcase behind him from another vampire coming out from the stacks. Giles threw his clinging vampire over the counter and headed up to help Xander. He hit the vampire headed for the boy in the back only to have the vampire spin around and punch him in the face knocking him out and down the stairs.

Kendra held the vampire she was fighting in a headlock plunging her stake into its heart bursting it into ashes. She headed for another one that tried to pick up Giles and threw him away to slide across the library floor as the library doors swung open. Drusilla walked in as two vampires faced off against Kendra. The Slayer tripped one and blocked a swing from the other.

"Enough!" Drusilla said clapping her hands together like an English schoolmarm that was getting after a group of naughty children. She waves her fingers at Kendra bidding her to come closer.

Kendra faced her in a fighting stance in the middle of the library floor. Drusilla walked around her with a superior look on her face. Kendra taking that as a challenge kicked out at her. Drusilla blocked it easily as well as two follow-up swings. Drusilla hit Kendra with a hard backhand sending her to the floor.

Kendra got up easily and the two found for a few rounds before Drusilla grabbed Kendra by the throat forcing her back against the counter, gripping hard she started to choke her. "Look at me dearie," Drusilla commanded her.

She waved two fingers before Kendra's eyes. She started to put the Slayer into her thrall. "Be in my eyes. Be… in me," Drusilla whispered to her as Willow moaned softly and Xander moved a little by the shelves. None of the vampires moved towards them as all eyes were focused on their leader and the Slayer.

They saw Drusilla let Kendra go, the Slayer didn't move, didn't fight. The vampiress swayed back and forth in front of the dark girl. Kendra followed her motion to stay in eye contact. Drusilla drew out her right hand and with an evil smile sliced her sharp nails across Kendra's neck.

Blood began to run down the Slayer's throat as the dark girl grasped at her neck as her eyes focused once more and she realized that she was going to die. Kendra collapsed to the floor as Drusilla watched with interest. "Night-night," she told the girl as she kissed the air above her and turned to look at the room.

**oooooooooo**

**Boston, Massachusetts**

Faith Lehane sat out on the back porch of the apartment she shared with her Watcher. She was fourteen and wearing a tight black tank top and ripped up jeans. She was on the porch because she was smoking and her Watcher didn't care for that in the house let alone at all. But Faith needed it, her life wasn't so bad but some days it really sucked. Since she had come to live with her Watcher she was fed, clothed, and she even went to school.

She took a long drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke out looking up to the night sky. It was smoggy so the stars weren't so bright and the moon was a haze. But it was her city and that was good with her.

"Faith?" her Watcher called out. "You have school in the morning."

Faith made a face at that. Three days of school left, next year she'd get to go to High School. Maybe it wasn't all that bad. Problem was her Watcher had her taking some classes through the summer. Not that she was a bad student, it was all so boring.

"Faith?" her Watcher called out again.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'!" Faith called back as she took a last draw in and flicked the cigarette away as she let the smoke out from her lips. She grabbed the railing to pull herself up and felt the metal move under the pressure of her hand. "What the hell?" she muttered as she looked to see that the metal had the imprint of her hand in it.

She shook the railing a little, it seemed solid so she grabbed another part of the railing and made a fist. The metal moved in again. She looked at it then her hand, it seemed fine. "That's just damn crazy," she said as she let herself inside the apartment.

**oooooooooo**

**Back in Sunnydale…**

"Let's get what we came for dears. No time to waste," Drusilla told the vampires. Willow tried to sit up as Xander swallowed a few times closing his eyes. The vampires picked up Giles' unconscious form and dragged him out of the library.

"No," Willow got out weakly as she tried to think up some spell that could stop them, but her head was pounding. She looked again and they were gone.

Xander got up first staggering about to get his brain to stop spinning. They both looked as Buffy threw the library doors open and rushed in only to stop at the scene in front of her. She ran over slid down to her knees next to Kendra only to find the dark girl's eyes lifeless. Something she's seen before.

"Buffy," Willow got out as she slowly stood, Xander helping her. "The sword, the blood," she said to her.

Xander looked to Buffy. "They took Giles," he told her as he held his head. "You gotta use the sword to stop Angelus."

Buffy looked confused. Willow took in a breath as she fought her nausea from the hit she took touching her swelling cheek. "It takes Angel's blood to open the gate to Hell. You have to use the sword-," she nodded to the one on the ground forgotten in the fight. "And put it back. Angel- he has to die with it."

Buffy looked to Kendra then to her friends as she moved over and took the sword. Xander and Willow froze looking at the doorway. Buffy looked behind her to see a police officer pointing his gun right at Buffy.

"Freeze!" he ordered her.

Buffy stood up right as Xander slowly pulled Willow back into the stacks. "We have to help her," Willow whispered.

"By getting arrested?" Xander whispered back as he pulled her along until they could see through the stacks but not be seen by the officer and Snyder that came in after him. There was another officer visible outside.

"You don't understand," Buffy was telling him.

"Just drop the sword," the officer told her.

"Buffy Summers," Snyder's voice broke in. "If there's trouble, she's behind it."

"It's not like that!" Buffy said.

"Drop the sword or I'll shoot!" the officer warned her.

Buffy swung the sword forward and disabled the officer from his gun then punched him in the face taking him down.

"Stop right there missy!" Snyder warned her and the other officer came in pulling her gun out. Buffy leapt up and with a double front kick took that officer out slamming her back into the wall as she turned to Snyder.

"You know I didn't do this," she told the Principal. "The police will figure this out."

"In case you haven't noticed the Sunnydale police are extremely stupid," the Principal told her with a little jeer in his voice. "It doesn't matter anyway. You're too much of a liability for this school. You're… expelled." He finished that with great pleasure.

Buffy smiled a little. "You think school is the worst of my problems?" Buffy asked raising the sword stepping in closer to him forcing him to take a few steps back. "You are a just a stain on my shoe, you little toad," she told him as she drew the sword out towards him making him lean back from the sharp tip and walked towards the door.

One of the police officers began to get up and she hit the door running. He grabbed for his belt radio as he looked to his partner who was just waking up. "All units, we have a fugitive on foot at the high school," he said into the radio. "Homicide suspect. Female, blond, approximately sixteen years old. Suspect is very dangerous."

"Come on," Xander whispered to Willow, "we need to get out of here."

**oooooooooo**

Willow followed alongside Xander as they ran out of the schoolyard and about a block away they stopped both of them taking in a few breaths. "You okay?" Xander asked. Willow nodded and looked to him, he nodded that he was okay too. They were right other than the various bruises on them. A big one was showing up on Willow's cheek.

"We needed that Orb to do the spell, right?" Xander asked. "We could wait to go back in and get it."

Willow smiled as she pulled the orb and a paper out of her pocket. "I figured with the fighting coming I might not be able to carry my backpack around."

He smiled at that then frowned. "Buffy's going to need help. They have Giles."

Willow looked a little worried, she'd be happier if Xander came with her, but he was right. "I can do it, you go help her," she told him.

He looked to her and then nodded. "You can do it Will," he said.

"Even if it is Angel?" she asked as they walked along the darkened street.

"If it helps, yeah, but you know how I feel about him," Xander replied.

Willow nodded at that. "You better find Buffy."

"Stay safe," he told her and headed off on his own.

Willow watched him go then hurried at a quick walk toward a grove near the park she knew wasn't really used by the public. She felt her jaw and winced.

It took her a good half an hour to get there and she looked to the moon up above then to her watch. It was almost midnight, Buffy was probably fighting Angel.

She knelt down in the middle of a small clearing in the wooded area and began to center herself drawing her mind in and down as she felt for the lay lines, powerful strands of magic bound into the Earth. She let out a breath and slowly began to pick up the strands and wound them around her own magic she felt in her body. Her hair began to darken in shade to a deep auburn as it flowed about her. She prayed to the Goddess to purify the area clean and that what she prayed for would be answered, that Angel would receive his soul once again.

Willow stood up and pulled the orb and the spell out of her pocket. She let the magic drift through her as she read the first line. _"Quod perditum est, invenietur. _Permissum la el servo suus animus universa," she incanted and the orb and paper began to float in front of her.

**oooooooooo**

Buffy hit the ground in the atrium outside Angelus' mansion. The two had been fighting hard while Spike and Drusilla watched, Angelus had just hit her hard enough to throw her from the main foyer. She swung her sword up to face her former boyfriend. She thrust out and he parried it. Buffy spun around with a sharp swing and he blocked her. Her sword recoiled from his and the tip swung low striking against the wall of a plant bed. Angelus stomped on the blade and it was yanked from her grip.

With a quick spin Angelus elbowed her in the face knocking her back into a stone table under the pressure they both collapsed to the ground.

Inside where the stone statue stood a growl emanated from the mouth. Angelus had removed the sword and the end of the world was coming as Acathla began to wake. Neither of them saw Spike take out Drusilla with a quick hit to her head. He picked her up and left Angelus and Buffy to fight it out for themselves.

Buffy backed up against the wall as Angelus slowly advanced on her with his sword ready to skewer her. He of course had to taunt her as she watched alarmed that this was the end of her life, the end of the world and she has failed.

"Now that's everything, huh?" Angelus asked with a gloat on his face. "No weapons… no friends… no hope." Buffy closed her eyes waiting for whatever came. "Take all that away… and what's left?"

Angelus drew back his sword and thrust directly for her unprotected face. With reflexes only a honed Slayer could possess she swung her hands up and caught the flat of the blade between her palms just inches from her face. Hazel eyes with a look of determination in them opened to meet his surprised ones.

"Me," she told him darkly as she shoved the blade away from her with a quick snap catching Angelus directly in the face with the hilt. Angelus stumbled back grasping for his face as she flipped up to her feet and picked up her sword.

With a fire she didn't have before she attacked him swinging her blade around driving it at him, he just managed to parry them blocking her fierce attacks from a direct hit. Through several blows they exchange fast flicks of the blade until Buffy spun around and swung her sword in a massive overhand blow. Angelus held his block but he fell to one knee from the pressure she exerted over him. He could tell this was the true Slayer coming out, not some lovesick teenaged girl.

Buffy swung out and with another massive blow Angelus blocked once more as she changed tactics arcing her body up and around with a lightening roundhouse kick to his unprotected side. She caught him with a brunt force throwing him back into the house collapsing him to the ground.

**oooooooooo**

Willow felt the magic of the earth radiate with her own just within those first two lines. Over the world those who had some form of magical power within them looked up curiously wondering what was being felt.

"Redimio la el sic nullus mos postulo is iterum," Willow said as she opened her eyes and they were shining gold.

**oooooooooo**

**Hogwarts…**

Harry sat in History of Magic, his first class of the day. He was tired and let out a sigh as he listened to Professor Binns drone on and on about goblins. How much did he need to know about goblins and a war? He felt the magic about him move and he took in a breath as the other students looked around wondering what they were feeling.

He took in a breath as he felt his body being taken over. He opened his eyes. "Iacio suus pectus pectoris ex malum regnum," he said out loud.

"Harry?" Ron asked from where he was sitting next to him. Even Professor Binns was watching.

"Iacio suus pectus pectoris ex malum regnum," Willow said and Harry followed it halfway across the world.

**oooooooooo**

**Muircross, Ireland…**

Tara looked to the window of her bedroom as she got ready for school. Outside as she saw the Aethonons whinny and run in circles in the fields as a herd. She had flown on the winged horses before, but this was-. She felt it; her hands trembled as she looked to the mirror on her vanity. Her eyes were softly glowing a gold color and she could hear the words in her head.

"Te dico in vos dea orbis terrarium," Willow said not even looking at the paper anymore as the orb began to pulse, her feet lifting off the ground.

**oooooooooo**

**Grimmauld Place…**

Remus Lupin looked to Tonks and Sirius who were at the kitchen table when they all felt it. "What is it?" Tonks asked.

Sirius ran to the living room and looked to a mirror hanging from the wall, drawing out his wand as the two followed him in. "Animadverto!" he called out.

They looked to see the image change in a swirl as the living room of Grimmauld Place was gone to show a forested area and a girl standing there with her arms out hovering just above the ground with golden eyes and a swirl of gold and black magic misting about her, her dark red hair floating about her shoulders.

"Lily," Sirius said.

"Willow," Lupin got out at the same time.

"Locus!" Lupin commanded pointing his wand at the mirror. 'Sunnydale, California' appeared above Willow's image.

"The Hellmouth," Sirius said.

"Sunnydale?" Tonks said looking confused as Lupin and Sirius disapparated. "Guess its Sunnydale," she said as she disapparated herself there as well.

_"Te implor, Doamna, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte," Willow called out as gold and black magic swirled about her body. She didn't notice anything anymore. The orb began to glow._

**oooooooooo**

**Little Hangleton…**

"Greyback! Macnair!" Voldemort called out as he looked to the red headed girl in the mirror. He had felt the power the instant it happened. She was the image of the woman that haunted his dreams, the woman that destroyed his chance at power, Lily Potter. The two Death Eaters came quickly to his chamber and knelt. "Her, I want her here now!"

The two men looked at the image. "She's a girl," Macnair said.

"She is that power you feel and I want her!" he yelled at the man. "Take Nott and Malfoy with you!"

The two men ran as Voldemort turned back to look at the image.

_"Nici mort, nici de-al fiintei, Te invoc, spirit al trecerii," Willow said as her head snapped up and power flowed from the earth into her, the swollen cheek healed._

**oooooooooo**

**Salem, Massachusetts…**

Minister Rodney Fockelnorr looked to the group of aurors who had just left his office to find this young witch who had the power to shake the earth. He glanced at his mirror to see the girl was still there casting her spell.

_"Reda trupului ce separa omul de animal!" Willow cried out as the spell took her up a foot higher off the ground. The orb was throbbing a white-gold color._

**oooooooooo**

**Outside of wizarding city Thornehead, Nevada…**

"Who the hell is that?" Mordred, one of the Bloodfangs asked looking into the travel mirror Alena had pulled out of her bag when they felt the magic of the earth move.

"They're in Sunnydale," Thalus said as he wiped firewhiskey from his moustache. All of them were astride brooms. They had just razed the lower section of Thornehead away from where the rich lived and could afford good hexes to guard their houses.

"Whoever she is," Winifred said from where she sat behind Mordred, "she's on Bloodfang territory."

Mordred smiled at his witch. For as thin and tiny as she was, Fred was brilliant and sadistic. Her parents were that way too, coming from Texas the Burkle family had a long history in the Bloodfangs. "Let's find out who she is then," he told them as they flew out of the wizarding city limits.

_"Nici mort, nici al finite," Willow said lowering her head and her eyes glowed darker gold as the black mixed in with it._

**oooooooooo**

**Sunnydale Hospital…**

Jenny lay in her bed rubbing at her forehead. She hurt but this was different. She looked to her watch on the bedside table and saw that it was just after midnight. "Willow," she said as she closed her eyes and just felt. The power the girl was drawing in was incredible.

She slowly got out of bed and slid on her clothing with a few stops to get her head to settle down. She slid on her shoes and snuck out of the door.

A mile away Willow finished her spell._ "Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta, sufletul la el.__Utrespur aceastui. Asa sa fie!" she demanded to the skies. "Asa sa fie! Acum!" she finished and the orb flashed brilliantly then imploded leaving nothing behind. _

_Willow opened her eyes and fell to the ground landing on her knees, she caught herself on her hands so she didn't land face first on the ground in exhaustion. "Jinkies," she said as her body shook with power. _

**oooooooooo**

**Angelus' Mansion…**

Buffy raised her sword up to cut Angelus down as he gasped loudly and groaned in pain. His eyes glowed bright gold for an instant before going back to their brown color. He collapsed to the floor crying. Buffy started down at him confused with her sword still in the air. Angelus raised his head, his eyes full of tears as he looked to her.

"Buffy?" he asked. "What's going on?" Her brow furrowed, her sword still poised to take him down as he looked around and got slowly to his feet. "Where are we? I-I don't remember."

Buffy's eyes went wide as she lowered her sword. "Angel?" she asked in shock.

He saw the wound on her arm. "You're hurt." She looked to it and felt his fingers touch her arm. She looked back to him and he clutched her to him tightly. "Oh, Buffy… God!" he whispered into her hair. "I- I feel like I haven't seen you in months!"

Buffy closed her eyes and let out a sigh that it really was Angel there. Willow had worked the curse and Angel was back.

"Oh my God, everything's so muddled. I-," he said as he held her tighter and Buffy felt tears comes to her eyes that he was finally back and the world could start up again. "Oh Buffy," he whispered.

Buffy hugged him back as Acathla let out a low rumble. Buffy opened her eyes to see the demon's face contort over Angel's shoulder. His brows angled down and his eyes glowed red, his mouth opening grotesquely as a swirling vortex to Hell opened. It was small at first, but it began to grow steadily in size. She let go to look up at Angel who looked confused.

"What's happening?" he asked.

She brushed her fingers over his lips and across his cheek. "Don't worry about it," she comforted him as her heart began to die. She kissed him softly and he returned it. It became more passionate as the vortex grew behind Angel's back. Buffy broke off the kiss and looked deeply into Angel's eyes. "I love you," she whispered to him.

"I love you," he whispered back.

She looked him over one more time. "Close your eyes." He did and she tried not to cry as she kissed him once more. With a step back she drew up her sword and plunged it into Angel's chest. His eyes opened in surprise and pain as a bright gold light emanated from the sword.

Buffy stepped back as Angel reached out to her looking at the sword stuck in him. She stared at the sword so she wouldn't have to look at his face; the betrayal of their love she knew would be on it. She stepped back further away.

"Buffy?" Angel got out as the sword began to swirl in time with the vortex. The two energies began to blend, Angel's hand still held out to her as Acathla's mouth closed taking Angel into him.

Buffy stared at the stone demon for a long while as she realized what she just lost and the tears came. The silence in the mansion was deafening and Buffy fled from the house.

**oooooooooo**

Willow looked up as people just began appearing out of thin air. She scrambled back from them as they looked to her then to each other. Some were in robes, others were in plain clothing, and they were in all shapes and sizes. There were dozens of them.

"Remus, get Willow!" one man with black hair and a British accent said as he pointed his wand at a really big… werewolf in human form.

"You don't get nothing Black!" the man growled back. "Lord Voldemort wants her."

Lots of wands came out as Willow backed up farther away from them. Some of the people didn't have wands but they began to call out spells.

"Willow," one man said coming her way dodging the others. Willow took in a breath, it was the man from the bar… or tavern or whatever it was, the one who had come after her.

"No, leave me alone!" she said as she scrambled back away from him as fast as her tired body could move. "Expelliarmus!" she said pointing at him.

Lupin flew back taking out half a dozen people, her absorption of magic made the spell much stronger. "A wandless witch!" another man in ratty robes and leathers said in an American accent. "Our territory, we're takin' her!"

"There is no Bloodfang territory," a woman said in blue and black robes. "You're under arrest by the power of the Ministry!"

"Ministry?" he yelled back. "Reducto!" he called out.

The witch dodged the spell as it hit Thalus and he exploded into ash with a scream.

"Damn it, Mordred!" Winifred called out. "That's the second brother of mine you've killed!"

Things just went crazy and Willow pulled herself up and ran.

**oooooooooo**

**12:30 a.m….**

Willow's heart was beating in her throat as she ran a corner hearing spell after spell being cast by the wizards that had come to Sunnydale. Her legs were rubber and her body was exhausted and electrified all at the same time. She hoped the spell had worked, she knew it had worked or there wouldn't have been all those people in robes popping in from nowhere.

She hurried around the side of a house as a few people escaped the melee and went looking for her. She screamed as hands caught her around her mouth and waist pulling her into the darkness. She looked back to see Buffy there.

"Bwufi!" she said around her hand.

"Who are they?" Buffy whispered.

Willow saw that there were tear stains on Buffy's cheeks. She pulled the Slayer's hand from her mouth. "What happened?" she asked looking behind her. "Where's Angel?"

Buffy shook her head not wanting to talk about it. "Who's chasing you, Will?"

"Wizards, they all got wands, or most of them do," she said then giggled. Buffy looked curiously at her and Willow released some of the energy into Buffy and the Slayer took in letting it fill up her waning strength.

"How much did you use?" Buffy asked as she grabbed Willow's hand and led her off into the dark of backyards away from the chaos forming nearby.

"Lots, I think more than I should of," Willow said as they ducked down again. "Giles?"

"Xander got him out," Buffy whispered. She sighed. "Will, I'm going to leave Sunnydale."

Willow looked confused as her body shook with power. "Why?"

"I just need to, my mom and I had words, she kicked me out after I told her I was the Slayer and she didn't believe me," Buffy replied.

Willow sat there shaking but her eyes were wide in shock. "Joyce? Your mom of all moms kicked you out?" Buffy nodded as she moved them again to another backyard when those looking for Willow got too close. Willow stopped her. "I'm going with you."

Buffy shook her head. "You have something good here."

"I want to find my family. These guys aren't going to leave until they find me, and I won't let them hurt Jenny," she said as they saw two wizards float down the street without walking, it was creepy. "You want to leave, I want to leave, I don't want to do it alone," Willow told her. "I don't want you to be alone."

Buffy watched her for a minute and a little smile came into her eyes. "Okay, we'll grab some stuff at our houses and find a way out of here."

Willow nodded as she followed Buffy trying not to giggle as the power made her just burst at the seams. She felt… horny. She liked that feeling. She clapped a hand over her mouth as they ducked down away from a group of three wizards striding down the street on the other side of the sidewalk. Buffy looked to her to keep quiet.

They made it to Willow's house first and she shoved a few things into a bag and left a note for Jenny. They headed over to Buffy's to find that the lights were on but the Jeep was missing. Buffy climbed up and looked into her room. The light was on in there too. There were a few wet kleenex on the bed. She took out a bag and stuffed a few things in it and crept back out.

They went to the road in front of her house to see that Xander was there with one of his dad's old cars. "Xander?" Buffy asked as they came his way.

He looked at the hood of the car for a moment. "I got Giles to his apartment. I- I figured you'd come back here. And I saw the guys in the robes, figured they were looking for Willow." He saw the bags. "Road trip? I'm game."

Buffy looked to her friends then nodded. She got into the passenger seat as Willow climbed into the back. Xander's bag was already there.

They were all quiet as they passed the 'Now leaving Sunnydale' sign. Xander kept his eyes on the road only to look at the two girls in the car occasionally. They'd tell him everything that happened eventually.

Buffy looked out the window wondering what she had done to deserve this. Kendra was dead. Angel was pretty much as good as dead. Giles was hurt. Her mom hated her and wanted her gone. She was expelled… Life was really sucking, badly.

Willow lay down on the back seat pillowing her head on Xander's lumpy bag. She trembled a little as she closed her eyes, she was more than exhausted, she was ultra tired exhausted. She fell asleep as the magic ran through her. She began to dream of lush grass fields and a blond haired girl with soft blue eyes. She smiled as she slid deeper in.

**oooooooooo**

**To be continued…**

Spells –

What is lost, return.  
Let him keep his soul complete.

Bind him so none may contain it again.

Cast his heart from the evil realm.

I call on you goddess of the earth.  
I implore you, Lady, do not ignore this request.  
Neither dead, nor of the living, I invoke you, spirit of the passing.

Return to the body what distinguishes Man from the beast!  
Neither dead, nor of the living.  
Let this Orb be the vessel that will carry his soul to him.  
Restore this one. So it shall be! So it shall be! Now!

See power

Locate


	23. Chapter 23

**I forgot to thank those who wrote a note to me on the last chapter. I thank you so much for them. They really are the 'pay' fanfic writers get for the work they do. I enjoy each and every one of them. **

**This chapter, thank you to all who wrote, I really do love getting notes from you guys. Even if it's just 'great job, loved it' or telling me to get a move on and post the next chapter (yes, I know I'm slow). I LOVE long notes though! Anyway, to those who asked questions or something I felt I should respond to: **

**Phylitr – I wasn't even planning on putting Fred in, but I was in a groove and did. Did you see Amy Acker in Alias? The woman can play evil! I don't know if she'll be in anymore of it, but I loved Fred. She was one of my favs on Angel.**

**Lightdemondarkangel – Yes, you should be punished for forgetting my story… And so should I. As for Giles traveling with them, you'll have to see. **

**RngrThorne – As you'll see in this chapter and a few others, no, Remus is not happy at all. **

**Vairetwilight – Um… I told in a review awhile back when Harry and Willow were going to meet and I think the chapter I said was around this one… but it's not. It's not really far off though. The relationship between Harry and Dumbledore will be tense. I don't think Harry truly ever trusted Dumbledore fully after a few things he pulled in the books. He really didn't have many people to turn to though. **

**oooooooooo**

**Sunnydale, 1:00 a.m….**

Jenny Calendar winced as she held her head a little; she had spotted two magic users dueling it out as she walked her way home through the streets of Sunnydale at night. Both carried wands. Across another block she saw a werewolf and a group of wiccans fighting as well. Not wanting to get involved she had made it to her house, but her car wasn't there and neither was Willow.

She had seen a few other people out this late wandering around, but so far they weren't vampires. It seemed the vampires had all but disappeared. Jenny could feel the magic on these newcomers also. They had felt Willow's power as well. The young redhead had overwhelmed the dampening effect of the Hellmouth. As powerful as vampires were, she didn't blame them for hiding away.

She went down the hall to find Willow's door opened. The bed was still made but the drawers were open and clothes were missing. She saw a note on the bedside table and opened it.

'_Jenny, _

_It worked. Or at least I think it worked. Buffy is wanted for Kendra's murder. She didn't do it. Drusilla did. Xander and I both saw it. Snyder just wants Buffy gone from the school. That's why he put the police on her. Anyway, all these magic users popped up on me after the spell. One was the man from New York. I don't want you hurt so Buffy and I are leaving Sunnydale. I'm going to find my parents and brother. Thanks for believing in me._

_Willow'_

Jenny sat down on the edge of the bed and read it again. "Oh Willow," she whispered as she got up and changed her clothes from what she had at the accident to clean ones. She put on a jacket, taking a few things she headed for Rupert's apartment.

It took her another half an hour to get there. She had to avoid a few magic users still looking for Willow and she was tired, her walk had been long that evening. She knocked on the Englishman's door. There wasn't an answer so she took out the key he had given her a few weeks ago and let herself in.

"Rupert?" Jenny called out softly. Maybe he was already out looking for Buffy and Willow. Then again, the Englishman rarely left his lights on. A noise of pain came from the couch and Jenny warily went over to see a battered and bruises Giles half unconscious laying on it. "Rupert!" she said worriedly as she came around and knelt by him.

"Jenny?" he whispered as he looked to her, his eyes weren't fully focused. "Not real."

Jenny's brow furrowed. "Of course I'm real, why wouldn't I be?"

"Drusilla, Acathla…" Giles got out.

Jenny looked to Giles' mangled fingers knowing they had to hurt. She stood up and went into the man's storeroom under the stairs in the apartment where he kept a chest of weapons, some magical items and other things he didn't want the kids or anyone knowing about. He had showed her them the first night they were together. Halloween actually, Willow was still mortified about that incident.

She smiled a little as she found a small bag filled with wiccan supplies. She was slowly building Willow's skills up so that she could help more than hinder Buffy when she patrolled. She pulled the items out as she came back into the main room.

Giles was still out of it, but his eyes tracked her as she set up candles and put out a small silver bowl. She smiled at him only to see tears in his eyes. "Don't hurt me anymore," he got out and Jenny winced as she leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"You're safe, Rupert," she whispered softly. "I'm going to help you." She went back to mixing a few things in her bowl then stopped. She couldn't cast this spell angry. She was furious at Angelus, Drusilla, any of the other vampires that hurt Rupert like this. However, she didn't have Willow's power. She didn't think anyone had Willow's level of power, which meant she needed to cast this as pure as she could.

She settled down her temper and finished adding a few herbs to her bowl then took out her talisman and a small notebook she had spells in.

"Anya Istennő, meggyógyít ez ember, kötelez a csont, megjavítás a hús, megtisztít a vér, visszatér -a erő, köszönet lenni -hoz téged, vezető tiéd Lány odaad," she incanted as she pressed the talisman to his forehead. A soft glow surrounded the bowl then Giles.

Jenny took in a breath as she felt her own power being used up for the spell. She was winded and tired as wisps of the light coursed over Giles's body. The man cried out a few times as his broken fingers were snapped back into place, the bruises lessened, the wounds closed and healed over as if a week had passed.

It took ten minutes at least and Giles was unconscious once again. Jenny let out a breath as she sat in a chair and took a nap herself.

Half an hour later she woke up to see Giles looking at his fingers then at her. "I am quite sane now, yes?" he asked tiredly.

She nodded. "I'm not sure what happened," she replied as she came over and knelt by him as she took up some bandages she had waiting and began to wrap up his fingers. "But we're still here, which means that Buffy won."

Giles nodded. "And where are the girls at?" he asked. "I was expecting one of their celebration parties." He watched as she wrapped up each finger. It still hurt a little, but he could bear it. Jenny let out a sigh and he looked to her face again.

The brunette looked up at him. "Apparently, Snyder put the police on Buffy for killing Kendra." Giles's eyes went wide at that. She held up her hand to forestall any outburst in defense of his Slayer. "She didn't! It was Drusilla," Jenny replied as she showed him Willow's note.

"Good lord," Giles said as he read the note a few times. "What in the name of all that's holy where they thinking!" he asked as his temper began to flare.

"That they were in trouble," Jenny told him softly and he looked her way. "They're teenage girls, Rupert. With lots of power."

Giles rubbed his forehead. "I'm going to have to see Mrs. Summers," he whispered with a shake of his head. There was a knock at the door.

Jenny stood up. "That's not all that's been going on," she told him as she went to look out the window to see who was there. "Well, there's one problem down," she said as she opened the door and Giles slowly sat up on the couch to see who it was.

Joyce Summers came in looking worried and scared. She was wrapped up in a sweater and her eyes were a little haunted. "Mr. Giles," she said looking to them. "Jenny. Do you know where Buffy is? I went to your place and no one was there. Xander's parents don't know where he is. This is the last place I could think of to look other than the school."

She sat down in a chair by Giles as she continued talking. "I get the police coming by telling me that Buffy's wanted for the murder of that girl who stayed with us one night a while back… Kendra? Then Buffy and that blond man Spike? They have some talk in my living room about stopping that ex-boyfriend of Buffy's from ending the world. Ending the world?" Joyce asked mostly to herself confused at it all while Jenny sat down by Giles. Joyce is in shock while waving around a letter in her hand. "Then Buffy tells me she's the Slayer, a vampire slayer. I mean she talked like that in L.A. before we came here. Hank and I didn't really know what to do with her then all that talk stopped. She just left, after I grounded her she left home, packed up." She stopped and looked at him. "Why do you look like that?" she asked Giles seeing that he looked liked he had just been in a fight.

Giles blinked a few times not ready for that question as there was a knock on the door again. "Bloody hell," he muttered as he stood up and gingerly went holding his ribs as he answered the door. "Yes?" he asked seeing two men around his own age and a young woman closer to Buffy's age in the doorway. He stopped when he saw they were wearing robes and his eyes looked to them suspiciously. "Halloween isn't for another few months, and you're quite too old to be after treats." He went to shut the door but the hand of the brown headed man stopped it over the threshold showing he wasn't a vampire.

"A Brit in the New World," the man replied with the same accent. "Are you the earth magic user we felt?" he asked looking him over. He sniffed his way a few times. "I smell her on you."

Giles looked at him more curiously. "And who are you?"

The other man, dark headed with a slightly troubled look in his eyes stepped forward. "Sirius Black," he answered with a British accent as well. "This is my dear friend Remus Lupin and our young friend here is Nymphadora Tonks. Now, who are you and do you have our niece?"

Jenny and Joyce came halfway to the door when this last question came out. "And who might your niece be?" Giles asked seeing that all three were holding wands.

"Willow," Remus told him. "Willow Potter, or as she was known as I left her with her new parents, Willow Gale."

"Are you her father?" Jenny asked coming closer. "James?"

The three outside looked her way. "No," Remus told her. "James is dead. We lost Willow and we want her back where she belongs. Not on the god forsaken mouth of hell."

Joyce's brow furrowed in confusion. "Mouth of hell?" she asked. "Buffy tells me about vampires, they're asking about hell?"

Giles opened the door and the three came in. Remus came over to Jenny and smelled softly. "You are her mother?" he asked.

Jenny shook her head watching warily at the sniffing bit. "Guardian."

Remus nodded. "I wish to take her back home, I'm her godfather."

"Willow's Jewish," Joyce replied more confused that before. Did Jewish people have godparents?

Sirius smiled at that. "A Jewish witch?"

"A Jew-witch," Tonks said with a smile. Sirius snorted back a laugh and even Jenny smiled at that.

"What the hell is going on?" Joyce demanded to know.

"Who are you?" Sirius asked looking her way.

"Joyce Summers, now where the hell is Buffy and what does Willow have to do with any of this?" she asked angrily.

Giles let out a breath. "Mrs. Summers, Joyce," he said gently steering her to a seat he pushed her softly into sitting. "Buffy is the vampire slayer. She wasn't lying to you."

"Slayer?" Tonks asked to her companions. "Isn't she a myth?"

"Can we trust them?" Jenny asked looking at the three wizards.

"We will take a wizards oath if needed," Sirius replied.

"You'd have to explain to me how that one works," Jenny said watching him.

Joyce and Giles looked to each other through this and Joyce saw that he was telling her the truth. "And what do you have to do with it?" she asked.

"I'm a Watcher, I trained from a young age to guide a chosen girl, a slayer to do her duty for the world. To protect people from the evils they don't care to see," he told her.

Joyce watched him a moment more. Giles didn't expect the slap, but it came. The smack of hand to face was loud and he grabbed cheek wincing at the impact on his still healing body. "These are the lies you've been feeding my daughter for over a year now?" Joyce yelled at him.

"He's not making it up, Joyce," Jenny said coming their way.

"That was a good hit," Sirius said from behind.

"What are you going to tell me next?" Joyce tiraded at them. "That there are walking mummies? Creatures from the Black Lagoon? I've seen the old horror films Mr. Giles."

"Spike is a vampire, Mrs. Summers," Giles said to her. She glared at him. "You've never seen him in the day." She shook her head not believing him. He grabbed her shoulders forcing her to look at him. "Where do you think she went each night, silly woman? Coming back with blood and dirt on her clothes, injured one day, healed the next. The gym she burned down in L.A. was full of vampires! She was doing her duty!"

"Then undo it! She's sixteen!" Joyce yelled back at him.

"I didn't do it to her!" Giles replied. He stood up and took off his glasses and began to clean them. He looked to the wizards. "Willow isn't here. However, I will need help in finding her and my Slayer."

"Where did they go?" Remus asked.

"Buffy didn't say," Joyce said looking to the letter in her hand.

"Neither did Willow," Jenny replied. "But Buffy is from L.A. and Willow said she was going to England to find her family."

"It would be the logical choice," Giles said looking to Remus.

Remus nodded a little. "We'll help, but Willow is coming home with me."

"Willow's under my guardianship," Jenny replied.

"Let's find them first," Sirius said as he looked to the door. "Aurors will be coming soon."

Joyce grabbed Giles's arm. "Find my daughter, Mr. Giles."

He nodded as he patted her arm. "I will."

**oooooooooo**

**Hogwarts, late morning (4:30 a.m. in California)…**

The Great Hall was abuzz with noise at midday for the student's meal. Even Umbridge couldn't keep much order as the children came in to eat and talk about what had made everyone take notice earlier that morning.

More than that, that Harry had spoken some odd words and had to be sent to Madam Pomfrey to be checked out. When he came in to eat most everyone looked his way, even Umbridge. He ignored them all making his way to the Gryffindor table.

"Did you hear?" Neville said to him quietly as Harry sat down between him and Hermione. Ron was across the way stuffing his face full with chicken at the moment. "Every parent has put in owls to the Headmast- mistress," he amended giving a glance up at Umbridge who was still looking Harry's way. It creeped him out a bit. "Aurors and that leaving from the Ministry to see what it was."

"Maybe it's You-Know-Who?" Hermione offered worriedly.

Ron nodded as he swallowed a large mouthful and Hermione cringed after five years together at the same school. She was still surprised that someone could swallow that much without chewing. "She is right you know," he agreed with her as he took another chunk of food in his mouth. "You do h've a c'nne'tion," he muttered around his mouthful.

"Ron do actually chew and not while speaking at the same time, thank you," Hermione snapped at him. He made a face at her; she wasn't the boss of him. He winced at the sharp kick she gave him under the table. They weren't boyfriend/girlfriend but he tried to chew better knowing that she'd harp on it if he didn't while she was there.

"I don't think it was," Harry told them. "Usually the scar hurts. But this was like my body was working with it, not against it. It didn't feel wrong."

Hermione and Ron exchanged looks as Ginny came in. It was rare to see her without a scowl nowadays. Ever since Tara's mum had taken Tara back to Ireland to finish school there and Umbridge had announced that Tara had been expelled. This in Ginny's mind was an outrageous lie.

The two had stayed in communication with each other the whole time. Tara was Harry's eyes and ears in the world outside of Hogwarts. Today she looked happier but she glared up at the head table at Umbridge. She sat down by Ron across from Hermione and she smiled.

"Tara left me a note," she told them in a whisper and the others leaned in a little closer to hear around the noise of the other students. "Says she felt it too, her eyes glowed like Harry's. Her mum says that all the psychics say its coming."

The three looked curious, twice Tara had experience something the same as Harry. When Ginny wasn't forthcoming with more Harry spoke up. "What's coming?"

Ginny shook her head. "Her mum wouldn't say."

"She does like it cryptic," Ron said as he wiped his mouth off with his sleeve.

"Usually to make us learn ourselves," Hermione told him looking at Harry remembering at Christmas when Ms. McClay would only tell them so much about the sweater Harry had gotten but couldn't remember who for. Dumbledore was a mystery as well. The sweater still sat in his trunk.

"Do you think it could have to do with your dreams, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Like with Mr. Weasley and the Department of Mysteries?"

Harry shook his head. He was put out with all the adults in his life. They were either evil, ignoring him, or not telling him what he needed to know. "I don't know, seems like everything points to the Department, but I just don't know."

"Tara says she's in for whatever it is," Ginny replied as she filled up her own plate with food. "She's learning a sight more than we are here. Her uncles are keen on teaching her just about everything."

There was a rumble outside and everyone in the Great Hall looked to each other and the rumble grew louder. Professor Umbridge stood up walking in a fast clip from the head table down the aisles to the main doors.

Harry and the other students stood up and followed her outside. There George and Fred Weasley swooped down by Umbridge with a laugh on their brooms that had been confiscated earlier in the year by Umbridge herself, they threw wizarding fireworks into the air.

Umbridge screamed as a few of the fireworks exploded nearby. "Come down now!" she screamed at them. "Detention until the end of the school year!"

"We've had enough of that!" Fred said throwing another firework into the air.

"Not much school going on here anyways!" George finished for them as he swooped up from behind the crowd making everyone scream then cheer with laughter, most everyone, but not the Slytherins.

"We quit!" the twins said together and with one last great explosion of fireworks they left Hogwarts, their trunks and supplies following behind them.

Harry realized that this was the perfect moment to contact Sirius about what had gone on. Even Filch was outside watching. Hermione and Ron followed with Ginny, Luna and Neville behind as Harry hurried through the crowd and back inside.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as they hurried up the stairs.

"To ask someone who will tell me the truth," Harry replied. It didn't take long to get to Umbridge's office. "Ginny; you, Neville, and Luna keep watch," Harry told her. She nodded at that as Harry and his friends went inside.

Harry set up the fire and it wasn't long before Sirius was there. "Sirius!" he said with a smile. The image of his godfather blinked a few times like it wasn't a good connection. "Is everything okay?"

"My fire isn't where I truly wanted it to be, Harry," he said and he smiled. "There's wonderful news! We're so close to finding Willow." He looked to Hermione and Ron. "This must not leave you two, wizard's oath." The two nodded.

Harry looked confused. "Willow? Like the Whomping Willow outside?"

Sirius gave him a concerned look. "Your sister Harry," Sirius said. "We talked about her before the school year started.

"Sister?" Ron asked as Hermione just looked surprised.

"Twin, just younger," Sirius said still watching his godson not understanding why he was looking at him that way. "Harry, you were thrilled to learn about her."

Harry shook his head. "I don't remember… why don't I remember?"

Sirius looked worried. "I'm coming back. I'll talk with Albus and we'll find out what's going on."

There was a knock at the door. "Harry, they're coming," Ginny whispered loudly.

"I'll be in touch soon. Remember, tell no one about her!" Sirius told them and he was gone from the fire.

Hermione and Ron pulled Harry out of the office and forced him to run before anyone found them around Umbridge's office.

A sister! Harry was just stunned.

**oooooooooo**

**6:00 a.m. Los Angeles, California…**

"How was I supposed to know there was more than one road to L.A. from Sunnydale?" Buffy asked tiredly as the old car drove down one of the main roads headed south.

"You're from here, I thought you'd know how to get here is all," Xander replied just as tired.

Buffy grunted out a noise and they looked at each other then Xander smiled a little. They had been silent the whole night until Xander asked which exits were good to take to get to L.A.. Buffy never having driven herself there before thought it would be easy enough to find. Four hours later they both realized that the Slayer wasn't a good navigator.

Buffy sighed as she leaned her head against the seat and looked to the back seat to see that Willow was still out. She hadn't moved, hadn't made a noise, in almost six hours. She could feel the magical energy still humming off of her.

"Have you noticed?" Xander said softly. Buffy raised an eyebrow looking his way. He nodded to the backseat. "Her hair."

Buffy looked back again and nodded. Willow's hair had always been a lighter shade of auburn until last night. Now it was a dark auburn, and unlike the black from the hellmouth that went away after casting a spell with its power, this one had stayed. "She was throwing off some mega wattage," she replied softly back. "I can still feel some of it just from here."

Xander looked curious at that as he turned west onto another street. Buffy motioned to the left. "Go down here to Monique's then make a left up by Bath and Body, and Borders."

Xander sighed as he drove. "Actual street numbers would be nice, Buff."

Buffy shrugged. "You do it your way, I'll do it mine. I know there's a hotel around there."

"Motel," Xander replied. "Something cheap, I have about sixty bucks on me."

"Sixty what?" Willow got out sleepily as she sat up, her hair had a little static in it and she brushed it down with her hands as she looked around to see the rows of houses, shops and cars. "What time is it?" she asked with a yawn.

"About six," Buffy said yawning with her, she was exhausted.

Willow rubbed her eyes and looked to them; she could feel the tired tenseness in the air. "Did we talk about what happened yet?" she asked quietly.

Xander shook his head as Buffy looked out the window. "When we get to a hotel," she told them still looking away from them.

"Motel," Xander corrected again. "Will, you have any money on you?" he asked.

"Some, and a credit card," Willow told him.

"Jenny might cut it off," Buffy replied.

Willow shook her head. "My credit card, my account, I opened it with Jenny's consent, she just gets to see that it's going okay." The two glanced at her and Willow shrugged. "College fund, investments."

"You have investments? I have comic books." Xander asked as he pulled into a Motel 8 parking lot.

"I'm Jewish, Xander, it's what we do," Willow replied.

Xander parked and looked her way. "Technically you're British, probably even Christian."

"Church of England," Willow said. They looked her way again and she shrugged once more. "I looked it up."

Xander nodded not at all surprised. "Which is Christian," he restated. "Right?" he muttered at Buffy.

Buffy ignored it pointing to the main office of the Motel. "How are two sixteen year olds and a fifteen-,"

"Almost sixteen," Willow chimed in.

"-year old," Buffy continued, "going to get a couple of rooms from an adult?"

"We probably have to pay up front for each day," Xander said looking to the rates on the sign outside. "I have enough for two rooms for one day."

"I don't think we're staying much longer," Buffy replied. "Manhunt for murder is out on me, all of us are missing from home. Giles will come looking if anything."

**oooooooooo**

**In another area of L.A….**

Jenny Calendar drove along the streets of L.A. looking around as the city was starting out for the workday. Giles was in the passenger seat of her car. One look at his and they went to the school and took hers on this excursion to find their missing girls and a Xander.

"Do you think Joyce believed you?" she asked her boyfriend.

"Hm?" he replied coming out of his thoughts. He looked better, but still tired. The barroom brawl bruises were still around though. Giles had seen better days. "After our 'friends' left us using their wands I don't think she could deny a good share of it." He looked around at the city. "She really could be anywhere."

Jenny smiled. "Considering that L.A. is just part of a lot of other cities connected together, yeah."

"You think her father's residence first?" Giles asked as he searched his pockets for the addresses of Buffy's father's home as well as a few friends Joyce figured her daughter might turn to.

"Better than anything we've got so far," she said as she headed down the road. "What do you make of the wizards?"

"We suspected it," Giles said finding the paper. "We'll have to ask more about them after we find the children. So far they seem sincere about finding them for the good of the girls rather than harming them."

"So far," Jenny replied. "We'll see." He nodded at that as he directed her to another street.

**oooooooooo**

Willow rested her chin on the back of the front seat by Xander who was still behind the driver's wheel, as they watched a dressed up Buffy come out of the main office with two room keys. She looked, in the outfit and makeup she wore, like she was twenty. She was the only one who could get away with it and all three of them knew it. Xander wasn't a good enough actor to get them to believe he was older, and Willow looked fifteen unless she wanted to try for vampire Willow acting again, which she didn't.

"She tell you what happened?" Xander asked around a mouthful of old, melted candy bar he found under the seat while they waited.

Willow shook her head. "We were running mostly. You?" she asked back.

Xander shook his head as he took another bite. "Nada," he replied around another mouthful wiping dripping chocolate from his chin to lick it off from his thumb. "I mean, either he's dead or he's not." Willow looked his way and he made a noise that she knew what he meant. "He's Deadboy again or he's really gone poof dead." He made the 'poof' action and a little chocolate from the candy bar flung off to sprinkle the seat and Willow.

"I did the spell, floaty up in the air, swirly magic, people coming to hunt me down," Willow told him as she watched Buffy head their way while wiping the bits of chocolate off her face she could feel. "I know it worked. It had to."

"Then where is he?" Xander asked.

"Where is who?" Buffy asked as she opened the door to the car.

"Angel," Willow replied.

Buffy's eyes went unfocused. "Inside." Willow and Xander looked to the motel wondering how Angel got there, then back to her and she sighed. "Let's talk inside," she restated.

Willow curled up on one of the beds in the room for her and Buffy. Xander sat nearby her while Buffy took a chair across from them. It was a simple, boringly decorated room, but actually clean.

"He's gone," Buffy told them as she looked to her hands, her elbows resting on her thighs she stared at her fingers.

It was silent for a minute. "Gone where?" Xander asked finally. "Buffalo? China? Sacramento?"

"Hell," Buffy replied as she looked up to them. "He got the sword out. I was going to kill him and the spell worked, he came back."

Xander nodded that he understood but Willow went very pale. "Oh no," she whispered.

"I got to tell him I loved him," Buffy whispered. "Then I got to send him to Hell."

Willow scrambled off the bed and only Buffy's slayer reflexes caught the red head as Willow cried wrapping her arms about her friend. "I'm so sorry!" Willow mumbled in Buffy's hair.

Buffy fought the tears as her best friend had her arms about her neck. Willow was a friend to Angel. She looked over Willow's shoulder to see that Xander looked conflicted. Part of him was sad, probably because his best friends were sad, and part of him didn't care that Angel was gone. He had always made it clear he wasn't fond of the vampire.

Willow released Buffy after a while wiping her eyes and her nose on her arm. "Sorry," she said to her friend. "I shouldn't have done it."

Buffy shrugged with a sigh. "It's okay, I wanted you to. I just didn't think I'd have to kill him."

Willow wiped away the new tears and Buffy wiped her eyes. Xander patted Buffy's knee. "I hated the guy, but I'm sorry," he told her.

Buffy nodded knowing that it was big for Xander to admit that. "I need some sleep."

Xander left for his room as Willow sat down on one of the beds looking her way. Buffy sighed and took up her bag. "I'm gonna take a shower, 'kay?"

Willow nodded chewing on her lower lip as Buffy went into the bathroom and locked the door. It wasn't long before the shower started up. Willow liked Angel. He didn't deserve to go to Hell, Angelus yes, but Angel, no. A few tears came as she drew out her locket and with rub of her thumb the image of her family appeared.

It had been quite a while since she thought of the Rosenbergs. Jenny was a great big sister type slowly turning into a mom type. But she wanted to see her real mom, the mom that gave birth to her and ask why she wasn't with her and the family. She wanted to meet her brother Harry.

Willow felt her stomach rumble and she knew she needed to eat something. Buffy probably did too. She wasn't sure if her friends ate anything while she was asleep in the car but she was betting they hadn't. There wasn't fresh trash in the front of the car where Xander usually put stuff when he ate.

She dug through her thrown together bag and found her wallet. Luckily she had removed that from her backpack in the library before the attack. She found she had twenty dollars in cash along with a couple of quarters. Willow went out of the room taking the key with her. She found that the vending machines were in the office area that held a small lounge… if you could call saggy pleather chairs and old looking plastic plants a lounge.

She noticed the manager in the back office watching TV as she went to the machines and looked over what was offered. The redhead had to admit that the Cheetos looked artificially tasty. On the other hand, she was thirsty and Fresca was always a nice drink.

Taking a few selections she headed out avoiding the manager even seeing her. She let herself back into the room and set a few of her items on Buffy's bed and settled back on her own pulling open a Twix candy bar. Buffy came out in wrinkled pajamas that had been stuffed quickly into her bag, she smiled a little for the first time that day when she saw a diet coke and a package of Ding Dongs on her bed.

"Thanks Will," Buffy said digging into the chocolate as she came over with her treat and sat by Willow on the redhead's bed and the two ate in silence as they thought to themselves about all the weird stuff that had happened that night.

**oooooooooo**

**Early the next Evening…**

Willow woke up with a crick in her neck when she found she was sleeping sitting up with Buffy resting against her also asleep. There was a knock at the door and she realized that was what had woken her up.

"Will? Buffy?" Xander called out.

"What?" Buffy asked sitting up straight as she rubbed at her eye not fully awake, just reacting to the noise.

"Just a minute, Xander," Willow called out as she got off the bed and Buffy reached for her coke can to find it was empty.

Xander came in looking freshly showered and awake. It was dark out and the lights of L.A. were on behind him in the backdrop. "I like this getting up at night and ditching the fam to go on the lam."

Buffy gave him an evil eye. "It's too early for bad rhymes without coffee or some sort of caffeine running through my veins Xander," she told him.

"Ah!" he said as he held up a can of Diet Coke and Buffy hugged him taking it gratefully.

"You are a genius Xander!" she told him as she opened it. "I take back anything I ever said otherwise."

"Thank you, I think," Xander replied with a grin as Willow pouted and he held out a regular Coke for her. "Sugar and caffeine for you m'lady." The three laughed like before Angelus came to stay as they drank their 'breakfast'. "I'm starving," Xander said sitting by Willow on her bed.

"We have to find an ATM somewhere," Willow replied. "I have about seventeen dollars on me."

"I am poorly broke," Buffy said with a sigh.

"That's why we have the budding ex-Jew, British-Christian-Wicca here with us, Buffy," Xander said putting his arm about Willow's shoulders and hugging her close. "I think we know why she likes drinking Giles' Earl Grey tea so much now," he said in a fake whisper.

"I am American," Willow told him but let him hug her close as she smiled. "I even talk American."

Buffy nodded as she set her empty can down on the side table. "That you do quite well. I'm hungry too."

The two girls took turns dressing in the bathroom then they headed out walking to where Buffy knew there was a small strip mall with an ATM machine nearby. Willow and Buffy walked arm in arm with Xander on the other side of Willow as they talked more about what happened the night before, almost twenty four hours ago.

"It was crazy," Willow told them. "People popping out of thin air. That freaky man from the wizard place in New York was there. They started fighting… I think a wandless witch is a big deal."

"Probably," Buffy replied as she looked around the old neighbor of shops. She and her air-headed friends at Hemery High had come here quite a bit after school to shop. "It's so different now," she said softly.

"At least you're not the same you," Xander told her as they went across a busy street to where they could see an ATM machine outside the strip mall they passed that morning.

Willow went up to the machine and put in her card. She waited and the two watched as she punched in her number. Buffy swallowed when she saw the amount available in the account. "Will, where did you get that kind of money?"

Willow looked to her then to Xander whose jaw was dropped to his chin staring at the screen. The little green digits had six numbers with a dollar sign in front and the amount was awfully close to reaching seven digits. "Well, there's my batmiztvah money," she told them as she withdrew five hundred dollars. "College funds, Jenny put some of the money from the house and the estate sale in there, the rest of that went into a CD." She shrugged as she handed them each a hundred and Xander looked to the crisp clean piece of paper like it was something he had never seen before. "And an internet friend and I sold a patent about three weeks ago."

"A patent?" Buffy asked looking to the money and thinking of how many shoes she could buy with the money Willow had saved away.

Willow nodded a little. "It's a computer program."

The two nodded understanding, it was out of their league. Xander kissed her forehead. "Brains," he said then kissed Buffy's head surprising the blonde. "Brawn." He held out his arms and they looked to him. "Beauty," he finished taking a grandiose bow.

The three laughed as they headed off to find a place to eat. Buffy headed them towards a busier section of town where she knew there were some better places to eat than fast food. Buffy stilled and her friends followed her action as they saw her shift from normal teenage girl to slayer. "I didn't bring anything to fight with," she told them.

"Here?" Xander said in disbelief looking around carefully. "Vampires are here?"

Willow looked to see four figures coming their way out of the shadows from the streetlights in front of them. "How come they're out?" she asked as she began to think of her spells. "It's not completely dark yet and there are people around."

"Don't know, don't care," Buffy said seeing a wooden bus bench and she ran to it. With her slayer strength she pulled off a bit making a rough wedge of a stake and the vampires slowed but didn't stop.

"Buff?" Xander asked making her stop as she tore off another piece with her free hand and Xander took the three foot chunk of wood. Buffy was in her slaying zone. "Thanks," he told her as he stomped on the end of it breaking it to a jagged point while four more vampires came out of the shadows from back across the road, the way they had come. The two of them made sure that Willow was behind them as they spread out.

Willow looked around to see there were a few people watching; wondering what was going on with eight adults surrounding three teenagers. Two even had their cell phones out. This was definitely not Sunnydale.

Buffy stalked four of her prey while they tracked along with her almost as smoothly. Xander had taken on two leaving two for Willow. "Stupify," Willow said flicking her hand at one of the vampires.

"She's the one we want!" one of the others said as the vampire she shot the spell at was knocked back into a stop sign ripping it off it's base and flinging him to the ground.

With that one sentence the shift of who went after who came. Five were headed for Willow as Xander and Buffy each attacked the ones that stayed with them while the one on the ground slowly got up.

Willow backed up in surprise as they came her way. Buffy dispatched the one she had running through its burst of ash for the others. "Hey! Slayer here!" Buffy called out trying to get their attention away from her friend.

Willow tripped back as little as the closest vampire leapt at her. "Incendio!" she squeaked out in shock ducking down, the vampire lit up in flames like a fireball barely missing her as he sailed over her head.

"Will!" Xander called out as he struggled with the one he had. Buffy staked one in the back and headed for another getting closer to Willow as Xander head butted the vampire who had a hold on him. "I'm coming, just a minute!"

Willow looked to see the flaming vampire roll to the ground and explode into dust. She looked to the others and felt… good. She smiled as she called up her magic feeling the lay lines in the ground of the earth with her own. She scrambled back screaming as one tackled her onto the cement she could feel the asphalt scrape up through her shirt into her back as Buffy tackled the vampire right after grabbing him around the throat with a strong arm so he couldn't bite the redhead.

Willow looked up at the ugly vampire face with yellow eyes and rancid breath and pushed into his chest with her hands. "Burn," she told him. His eyes went wide and Buffy rolled off him as he got hot. The Slayer flung him off her friend with a hard kick to his side throwing him ten feet away. The vampire spun up and around several times as his body was consumed by fire turning to dust before he hit the ground. The ash spread out like a plume of smoke as another vampire came up to fight.

"Xander?" Buffy called out as Willow tried to stand, her head felt sorta funny.

"Still, uh, here!" he yelled back grunting through his sentence.

"The heart, stab him in the heart!" Buffy replied as she blocked the other vampire's way to their target. "What do you want my friend for, boys?" she asked darkly as Xander grumbled in the background that that's what he was trying to do.

"None of your business, Slayer," one said looking for a way to get past her to Willow who acted like she was drunk, trying to stand and stumbling around.

"She is my business, so talk or die," Buffy shot back.

One of the others came at Willow and Buffy took him on as well while two more came from the other way hoping to get the redhead from behind. Buffy grabbed the first vampire's arm and threw him across into one of the two behind them then did a high double front kick directly into the last vampire's face.

"Yeah!" Xander said as he landed on one of the other vampire's backs before they could get up from the Slayer's attack fighting with it. "One down!"

"Good job, Xan!" Buffy said as she glanced to Willow who sat back down. "Will? Helping?"

Willow nodded slowly as she held her head. "I feel funny, Buffy," the redhead said softly.

Buffy wanted to help but she had four more vampires to take care of. That was when the surprise came.

"Leave those kids alone!" someone shouted. Everyone fighting looked to see a few of the people from the stores and surrounding area come their way. The sound of police sirens in the background noise of the city came closer towards them. Someone had called the police.

Buffy grabbed one of the vampires as two ran off into the dark. "Who sent you?" she demanded.

"I ain't tellin' you nothin'!" the vampire spit back in her face.

Buffy looked disgusted as she wiped her face off. "Ew, and breath mint, hello?" she said then punched him hard in the stomach with the tip of her stake twisting it slowly and he cried out in pain. "Who. Sent. You," she demanded to know.

The vampire looked scared. "A bunch of lawyers," he got out as he felt the tip of the stake get closer to his heart.

"Wolfy and Hart?" Buffy asked suspiciously having watched the law firm during the summer. The vampire's eyes went wide and Buffy finished him off knowing she had her answer.

Two men tackled the vampire that had gotten a hold of Xander as the vampire with Buffy turned to dust. That was the last one there and Buffy saw a woman and a teenaged girl with Willow who was still holding her head where she sat on the ground. A blue unmarked police car with a light and siren on the top drew up and flashing lights in the distance said that there were a few more coming.

In a show of strength the vampire shook the men off and let Xander go as Buffy ran towards them. "Put the weapon down!" Buffy heard a woman call out as the vampire ran off into the dark and she stopped. "This is Detective Lockley, suspect in a beating is headed south on 4th and Rondolo Avenue."

This last sentence wasn't directed towards her and Buffy looked over to see a young blond woman with her gun out and a police radio in hand. The car door was open and the light still flashing. Blue eyes watched her carefully and Buffy knew she was talking to her about the weapon. She dropped the stake and the gun went down to the Detective's side and the woman came her way.

The Detective looked her over then her eyes went to Xander then to Willow who, with the help of the two women, was standing. "Is anyone hurt?" she asked.

"They landed on this young girl," the woman said nodding to Willow. "The blond girl is a heroine, she tackled him off."

"How many were there?" Detective Lockley asked as she put her gun away in a holster at the small of her back.

"About six, maybe seven," the man said as he stood nearby with Xander.

The Detective motioned for Buffy to join them as she looked to Willow who looked in pain. "Are you okay?" the Detective asked.

Willow nodded. "Just a headache," she whispered nervously, she didn't want to go to the hospital for her back or elbows which throbbed at the moment.

Lockley looked them all over. "I'm going to take you to the station and we're going to talk once the paramedics have come to make sure you're alright. Then call your parents." A marked police car drew up. "The officers will take the rest of your statements."

The three teenagers nodded knowing with the drawing crowd they couldn't just leave. This officer seemed to be paying attention to them, not like the Sunnydale police at all.

It wasn't long after the Detective left with her charges that most of those chasing after Willow in Sunnydale started to appear near the scene. They hid themselves in the shadows and crowds looking for the underage witch who used her magic.

**oooooooooo**

**L.A. Precinct, 10:03 p.m….**

The three teens sat silently, Detective Lockley had escorted them into the police station and to an interrogation room. "I'm assuming you have some I.D.?" she asked as she rested on the edge of the table near Buffy.

Xander sighed, Buffy made a painful looking face and Willow just looked worried. Slowly the three handed over their wallets. Detective Lockley looked to Buffy's, then Willow's and lastly Xander's.

"You're from Sunnydale?" she asked.

"That's what the card says," Buffy muttered and Willow nudged her.

"It's been a long day," Willow got out feeling the itch of the antiseptic on her back and elbows, she had Xander's t-shirt on, he was in his undershirt as her own shirt was ruined and thrown away by the paramedics. Her head was still splitting, like sticking her finger in an electric socket.

"We didn't do anything wrong," Xander stated looking at the woman. He had a few visible bruises from the fight, but nothing that the paramedics could do anything about.

Detective Lockley nodded. "Things can get weird at night in L.A. You kids are from a small town up north. Why are you in L.A.?"

"I'm from here," Buffy said realizing she was going to have to tell her something. "I'm here with my dad, my friends came too."

The Detective nodded at this. "And the men who attacked you? Any reason for that?"

The three shook their heads. "Just out to see the sights, they jumped us," Xander told her.

The woman nodded again. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She left the small room with their wallets in hand. The door shut and they all heard it lock. They watched as the blond detective went to sit at a desk, picking up the phone she began to dial.

"She's hot," Xander said softly.

Willow agreed with a small nod, the blond woman was very hot. Luckily it was silent and she rested her head on her arms folded on the desk the three were sitting at.

"This isn't good," Buffy whispered looking around for cameras or anything that might be listening in on their conversation. She touched Willow's shoulder. "What happened?"

Willow shook her head. "I think it's a feedback," she told her.

Buffy and Xander looked confused at each other over the top of Willow. "Come again, Will?" Xander asked. "Speak non-geek for us."

Willow smiled a little at that. "Jenny said magic is different on the Hellmouth. I've never done it outside of Sunnydale. I think I threw too much into my spells."

Buffy nodded that she understood. "We need to get out of here."

"Yeah, the only one not going to get killed by their parents is Will," Xander told them. "I was hoping we'd get to Mexico at least."

"I don't habla the spaniel too well Xander," Buffy said looking to Willow who shook her head.

"Took online Japanese," she replied and Buffy made a noise that it wasn't a surprise.

"And I don't think the car's going to make it to Japan," Buffy finished.

"It's better than just wandering the states waiting for the MAN to pick us up and send us back," Xander muttered as he folded his arms and slouched down in his chair looking a little put out.

"The man?" Buffy asked with a smile.

Willow giggled a little. "Right now it's the wo-man," she said pointing her finger to where the detective was.

Buffy and Xander smiled as Willow continued to giggle. "Will and a headache, almost as bad as Will and a boatload of coffee," Xander said as his mood lightened. "Buffy's right, we do need to get out of here."

Willow sighed softly. "How are we going to do that?" she asked as she pulled her head up to look at the door and out the large window to the officers around the station. It was nighttime so there weren't as many, but they'd have to get past a few of them to get out.

"The door's locked, and there's all of them," Xander told the girls as Buffy slowly stood up. The detective looked their way but Buffy stretched like she was tired and the woman went back to talking on the phone.

"If that's my mom there's no hope in Hell we're getting out of here," Buffy murmured as she went to look out the window then she turned her back to leaned against the wall where the window was. She felt the doorknob. "I can break the lock."

"It'd be quieter if Will did it," Xander told her.

"How are we going to get past all of them?" Willow asked looking about. "I could do a charm to set off the fire alarm-."

"The Detective would just take us out to her car again," Buffy interrupted that plan.

Willow screwed up her lips a little as she thought. Xander motioned to a skinny Latino boy handcuffed to a bench. He had a wealth of tattoos on his arms and neck. He looked like he was ready to take a head or two off. "What about him?"

"What about him?" Buffy asked as the two girls looked at him and the boy spotted Buffy and Willow and did a very vulgar thing towards them. Willow made a face at the gesture and closed her eyes while Buffy looked him over and he looked back then she raised an eyebrow and turned her back on him essentially blowing him off which the boy didn't like.

"Will, can you unlock his handcuff?" Xander asked.

"Why?" Willow asked as Buffy smiled.

"A diversion," Buffy answered and Xander smiled back at that.

Willow understood after thinking it through. She came to stand by Buffy and looked out to see where the handcuffs were. One was on his wrist and the other attached to the bench he was sitting on.

"Are you sure thi-," Willow started as Buffy motioned with her hand and Willow went silent.

Xander joined them as Buffy listened through the door with her slayer hearing. "She's found out I'm wanted in Sunnydale," Buffy said. "She's going to get a fax from them to make sure it's me." She looked to Willow as the Detective got up from her desk looking at them as she left the area. The Detective didn't look so friendly anymore. "Safe or not, if we don't leave I'm going to end up in a cell for something I didn't do."

Willow nodded as she took in a breath. She'd never done something this exact before, but she definitely didn't want Buffy going to jail. She centered herself and just let a little magic out of her. "Aperio," she whispered looking directly at the lock on the bench. It clicked free and the boy on the bench jerked as a cop went by trying to scare him into flinching. All the sudden he stood up realizing he was free. He tackled the cop and the cry went up, the other officers went to help.

"Now!" Xander hissed and Buffy turned the door handle. They heard the metal in the door slowly rend apart then break. She opened the door and the three rushed out as the officers were trying to apprehend the boy.

Buffy grabbed their stuff from the Detective's desk and they hurried around the corner trying to look like they weren't under suspicion or anything. They slowly hurried out through the main foyer to the outside.

There were cops around there too and they slid past them going around the corner of the precinct building, Xander watching to make sure they were out of sight; the three ran into the night.

**oooooooooo**

**Back at the Attack Scene…**

"Well isn't this bloody brilliant," Tonks said as she watched from the shadows. The place was crawling with muggles, auror types and civilians. They and the Watcher and gypsy woman had agreed to work together. She looked at the small device they had given her to keep in contact with each other. It was called a 'cell phone'. She hadn't stayed in the muggle world much once her muggle grandparents passed away. She knew what a telephone was, but not this. She sighed as she looked to Remus.

The man nodded as he motioned to one of the remaining vampires watching the scene. There were American Aurors around hiding as well as they looked for their missing witch and her friends. "The auror will get him," he whispered as they watched the scene.

"Slayer then," Tonks got out as she leaned back against the brick wall of the mall watching Remus. Why else would vampires be out in force around here unless they were looking for the Vampire Slayer. "Order's gonna go nuts."

Remus nodded as he looked her way. "She would be a great asset to the Order."

Tonks nodded back. "Young though, Dumbledore may not go for it."

"Harry and Willow are younger than her apparently," he said then he smiled. "I'm so close to her, I can't believe it."

Tonks smiled as held his hand. He looked to it then held it tighter. "Right on at that, Remus. We'll find her yet," she told him and Remus nodded. "What do you think's up with Harry not remembering Willow?"

Remus sighed as he looked her way. "I'm not sure. I don't think it was smart of Sirius to go back to London. The Ministry's in a knot to find him."

"Harry and Willow's all you two got of James and Lily," Tonks replied. "I would too."

Remus nodded at that. "Dumbledore might know. But with that woman there… Umbridge," he got out with a growl. She was a main reason why he couldn't hold a job, any job. "She'll be waiting for him to turn up."

"Sirius is smart, he survived this long. Only smart Black to come off the family tree," Tonks told him.

Remus smiled a little at this looking her way. "Your mother and you are quite smart I'd say."

Tonks smiled a little at that. "Wotcher that, I can hear me wicked dead grandaunt screaming from her frame."

Remus smiled this time. The howling picture of Mrs. Black in the hallways of Grimmauld Place probably was, seeing how Tonks's mother Andromeda married a Muggleborn wizard marking the two of them off the Black family tree.

Tonks nodded as the aurors left the area in a hurry. "She's cast again," she said. The two of them disapparated away.

**oooooooooo**

**Back at the Police Station…**

Detective Kate Lockley looked to the fax machine and waited for it to spit out a paper from Sunnydale. She hoped it wasn't true about the blond girl. She could tell she was a survivor, but she had good instincts telling her that the girl wasn't like most young killers you found in L.A. nowadays.

That and you take in her friends; the dorky but sweet looking boy and the scared to death redheaded girl. They were not killers. They weren't likely to hang around with killers. She pictured the boy drinking a soda and playing video games and the girl practicing the piano or studying the weekend away.

The machine spurted into life and soon enough there was a picture of the blond, Buffy Summers. Normally she would find the name amusing, but not in Los Angeles County. Not with Santa Monica, Malibu and Hollywood surrounding her. Buffy was almost common.

"Damn," she muttered as she looked over to see a Latino gang banger get free from his cuffs and attack one of the other officers. She ran to help.

**oooooooooo**

"If they've taken her into custody there's not much we can do," Giles told Jenny quietly as they headed up the steps into the precinct where they had heard on a police scanner he picked up in a local pawn shop that three teenagers fitting their missing kids descriptions were at.

"I'm Willow's guardian that counts for something" Jenny replied.

Giles was about to say something more when they found the station settling down from what appeared to be chaos. Papers were strewn about the area and a Latino boy was laying flat on the floor in handcuffs with quite a few police officers around him. "I say," Giles replied and a few of the officers looked his way.

"Can we help you?" a burly cop asked.

"I'm looking for my ward, she was brought in a short while ago," Jenny told her.

"Name?" the cop asked.

"Willow Rosenberg," Jenny told him. A blond plainclothes woman stood up at that.

"Detective Lockley, this way," the woman said. She motioned them to an empty room. "This is where they were a few minutes ago. You wouldn't happen to know where they are, do you?" she asked flatly.

Jenny and Giles looked around to see it was truly empty. "We just pulled in a moment ago," Giles said. "We've been looking for them since last evening."

"And you are?" the Detective asked.

"Giles, Rupert Giles," Giles told her.

She nodded. "Your ward is in some trouble," she said motioning for them to sit. Giles saw that the door handle had been wrenched apart and was just hanging from the frame. He knew how they got out. "Not to mention that her friend is wanted for murder," the Detective finished.

Giles shook his head. "Buffy didn't do it."

The Detective nodded slowly looking him over. "What happened to you?"

"It was the same people who killed the girl Buffy's being accused of. They attacked myself, Kendra; the deceased, Willow and Xander," Giles replied. "Buffy wasn't in the vicinity when it occurred."

"And you'd testify to that?" she asked.

Giles nodded. "As would Willow and Xander if we could find them."

"And how do I know it's not you?" the Detective asked.

"I believe it was the Principal at Sunnydale who claimed that Buffy killed Kendra," Giles replied. The Detective looked to the report and nodded. "He wasn't there when the incident occurred so how would he know?" Giles asked. "As for me killing her… You may test what you wish on me. I did not do such a thing."

Detective Lockley looked them over then nodded. Her instinct believed him. "I'm going to need a statement from you then," she told them. "If you're looking for them, I want you to bring them in so we can clear this up."

The two nodded at this knowing if that happened they'd be surprised.

**oooooooooo**

**11:41 p.m. Motel 8…**

Willow leaned her shoulder against the wall looking out to the lights of L.A. as Buffy unlocked the door to their room. She held three sacks of take out Mexican food and a bottle of ibuprofen they picked up on the way back. Xander had eaten half of his on the way but Buffy just looked tired.

Buffy looked to Willow and the two smiled a little. "I was expecting sun and sand and no vamps when we left," Buffy told her as they went inside. She lay down on her bed to stare at the ceiling. Willow joined her lying on her stomach to avoid the scrapes on her back.

"We're going to have to leave in the morning," Willow said softly.

Buffy nodded. "You've got enough for a ticket or two to England?"

Willow nodded with her but more slowly. "I'm going to have to make up some passports… or-or find someone that can do it."

Buffy smiled. "I know a guy back at Hemery that could get you just about anything."

"You mean we get to see your alma mater?" Willow asked smiling.

Buffy nodded as she crawled up on her knees to grab the fast food bags. The smell of hot meat and warm tortillas was making her hungry. "Maybe they even rebuilt the gym."

The two ate their food and Willow took a long shower looking to the scrapes on her. They weren't so bad, but she hoped that Wolfram and Hart would leave her alone.

**oooooooooo**

**The Next Morning…**

Xander watched out through the curtains from the girls' window like a fugitive while Buffy and Willow packed their bags a little more carefully this time.

"I don't think an old car is going to be on L.A.'s finest list of hot cars to pick up, Xander," Buffy said as she zipped up her bag. She looked much better than yesterday.

"We still need to get a few things too," Willow told him.

"Can we go by bus?" Xander asked.

Buffy looked mortified. "Have you not seen that movie with hotty Keanu in it? Buses are so five years ago."

Willow smiled a little. "Looks like old Buffy is coming back."

Buffy smiled with her. "Only for a little while. You want to blend in L.A. you act like an-," She thought about it. "L.A.-an?" she finished not really sure what kind of word that was.

"If that's even a word," Xander said as he hitched up his backpack and held the door open for them.

Buffy took up her own bag and did a peppy walk through it. "I'm the slayer so I can make up any words I want."

"That oughta make the people at Webster's turn in their offices," Willow replied as she followed her out.

"So stuff first, then Hemery?" Xander asked as they found a Dunkin Donuts a few blocks to the south away from where the vampires had attacked the night before. It was busy with people getting ready to go to work and the smell of deep fried dough made all three teenagers hungry. Xander was first in line and when the worker behind the counter came to him he ordered four jelly donuts and a coffee.

The donuts heaped high he got his tray and turned to see the girls looking at him and he held it closer to him his eyebrows narrowing. "Mine, I'm hungry, Mexican doesn't fill a guy up."

Willow and Buffy smiled as they both ordered their own and they sat at a small booth in the corner and ate. "Let's get the car as far as we can. Hopefully the airport," Buffy said after she swallowed a mouthful of coffee.

"It'll take them forever to find your dad's car there," Willow offered. Xander didn't look sad about that. "I'll go to the ATM for hopefully enough to buy us some 'things'," she said looking at them seriously.

"Passports, people around here don't really care much about other people," Buffy supplied. "I'll make a few phone calls to my friends at Hemery and Xander-."

"-will get supplies," Xander finished her sentence and his breakfast.

The three split up and Willow hurried off towards the ATM they had been to before. She watched around her as she waited for the crosswalk signal to change. There were lots more people out now. She hoped she blended in.

She withdrew just under three thousand dollars so the IRS wouldn't take note. Stuffing it in her pants pocket she began to head back the way she came. As she walked she felt like someone was watching her. Normally she wasn't so observant, but being with the Slayer the last year and with everything that had happened, she noticed.

She caught a few vaguely familiar faces. Willow recognized them from the other night in Sunnydale. One was the man from the pub in New York along with a younger woman with brightly colored hair. She glanced to see that there were more of them around in the crowd. Weirdly it was their clothing that caught her eye. They 'almost' fit in, but they were just enough of the odd to not be normal fashion.

Willow hurried a little faster along the sidewalk when she spotted the Detective from the night before watching along with another plain clothed policeman. "Not good," she whispered as she watched the lights at the intersection. Just as it was about to turn red she ran across the street. Two cars and an SUV squealed on their brakes to avoid hitting her.

She glanced back to see that about ten people were hurrying her way. She deflected one car that didn't see her from hitting into her just with her will and a healthy dose of fear then she began to sprint. Something she wasn't very good at. Buffy had been helping with the training, but she hated running.

"Adrenaline is always a plus," she got out as she ran faster. The others were stopped for a moment as the cars were backed up in all directions from her actions. The policeman stopped to help but the Detective and the others continued on.

Xander came out of a shop across the road to see Willow running. Willow wasn't a runner. He backed up when he saw so many adults chasing her. He only knew one of them and that was the Detective.

He moved over to let one pass by only to trip him. The guy let out a yelp as he landed on the sidewalk barely catching himself from planting his face there. He was in mismatched clothing. Weird. Willow saw Xander move out of sight and she hoped he went back to Buffy and they got away. Willow was just running full out and quickly getting tired. She didn't really know her way around L.A. and wasn't exactly sure where she was anymore.

"Willow!" Detective Lockley called out. "You don't want to be an accessory to murder!"

"Murder?" one of the others said just loud enough for her to hear as she dived between a few people and around a bag lady with a shopping cart full of empty soda cans.

"Sorry," she said to the lady and she pushed the cart over and went on running.

Cans flew everywhere skittering and bouncing across the sidewalk and road as the bag lady let out a scream of anger. The chasers were forced to slow down again. Two of them went down sliding on the cans. The Detective and the man from New York made it through the maze of aluminum with a few of the others.

Willow ran a couple more blocks then turned a corner and screamed as a hand grabbed her arm and lifted her up to an overhang of a low building. She was hauled over the edge like a sack of flour and a hand put over her mouth. She saw Buffy there holding her still as the chasers ran by.

"F-nk yuf," she murmured under the hand.

"No biggie," Buffy whispered back. "Some of them look familiar."

Willow got her to release her mouth. "The Detective, the rest were the ones that popped up in Sunnydale."

Buffy nodded. "I think the airport is out. Let's get back to the motel and find Xander."

Willow's eyes went wide as she scrambled to get up. "I saw him as I ran…" She looked to her friend. "How did you know I was running?"

Buffy smiled. "I saw from over there." She nodded and across the street and back a few blocks was Motel 8 sign at the curb. "I was outside waiting. I wouldn't have noticed so much without the noise of the cans. Nice touch, very un-Willowy of you."

Willow blushed and Buffy helped her down and they snuck over the wide road median towards the motel. They saw Xander and caught up with him. "That was wild!" he whispered looking around them. "You and trouble Will. You're almost better at it than Buffy."

Willow glared a little at him and they headed into the parking lot. Buffy stopped and the two stilled. "Again?" Xander asked seeing Buffy in Slayer mode. "Again?" he asked a little louder as two demons came out of hiding from behind a bush and a car. There was no one else about. Either they were in their rooms or gone.

"What the hell is going on?" Buffy asked them as she stood ready. "I'm gonna start wearing a sword or something if L.A. is this loaded with the badly bads."

"We just want the witch, Slayer," one said. He was large with red scales and yellow eyes; two extra eyes on his forehead.

"I bet people call you four-eyes a lot," Buffy quipped. "Does that bother you?"

"We will kill you for her," the demon who spoke before said as the other one crouched down on the hood of Xander's car, watching.

"Why do you want her?" Buffy asked.

He shrugged. "We only do what we're told."

"You mean Wolfram and Hart," Willow supplied. He nodded again.

"You know," Xander said digging around through his bags. "You guys are really--- starting---," he dug faster as he moved up towards Buffy, "to tick me off!" He lifted up a can of hairspray and dropped the bag as he pushed the button on it he flicked on a cigarette lighter and the spray caught on fire.

Buffy, Willow, and the demons watched the boy. The make-shift flame thrower's fire was ten feet too short from reaching the demon. "Good try," Buffy said patting his shoulder and Xander stopped. She looked to the demon. "Willow's not coming with you."

"Then you die," the demon said simply and came at her.

Buffy grabbed the ends of the dropped plastic bag and like a sling whipped it around as he came at her. She hit him full in the face with it blinding him for a second.

The second demon came at Willow and she set on her resolve face. People chasing her, vampires, demons and all for some group of evil lawyers. "Incendio," she said pointing his way.

Flames lit around the demon and he smiled as he came at her not slowing down. It didn't look like the fire hurt him at all. "Try something else!" Xander said as he found an old rusted crowbar in one of the gutters nearby.

"Diffindo!" she cried out as the demon jumped at her.

Xander swung at his back as the demon screamed in pain. Wounds formed in the black wrinkled skin of the demon and green 'blood' began to seep out. "Good one!" he called out as he slammed the end of the crowbar into one of the gashes.

The demon screamed louder and backhanded Xander away from him. The boy sailed across the parking lot to fly into the other demon knocking them both down. Buffy and the red demon had been trading blows and Buffy had a few bruises and scratches on her. "Unexpected but pleasant," Buffy told her friend just before he was thrown off by the demon beneath him.

Buffy caught Xander from falling on the ground then ran back to the black wrinkled demon. She yanked out the crowbar and flung it like a throwing knife at the red demon impaling him in the left eye. The red demon let out a roar of rage that turned into a gurgle as Buffy ran behind her throw and with a stiff foot slam the end of the crowbar up into the demon's brain.

Willow looked to the black demon that was thrashing in pain. "Petrificus Totalus," she said and the demon's limbs locked up and he toppled over.

Xander and Buffy came her way. "Doing better this time?" Xander asked as Buffy turned the black demon over with her foot.

Willow nodded. "Didn't let much out."

They saw that the black demon was still alive. "Wolfy and Hart," Buffy muttered angrily. She grabbed the black demon's head and gave it a twist. Willow and Xander flinched at the noise of the demon's neck breaking. "I think it's time we paid them a visit."

**oooooooooo**

**To be continued…**

Spells

Mother Goddess, heal this man, bind the bone, mend the flesh, purify the blood, return his strength, thanks be to thee, guiding thy Daughter's hand.


	24. Chapter 24

June 18

**Wolfram & Hart Law Offices, L.A., late morning (same day)…**

Lindsey MacDonald stood in the center of the elevator headed down from his office to the ground floor when it stopped at another floor. The doors opened to reveal Lilah Morgan, co-worker and competition in moving up at the law offices they both worked at.

As handsome and well mannered as he was, Lindsey always felt like a country bumpkin around her. Tall, lithe, and oozing sexuality, Lilah was perfect as a corporate lawyer. Little did most people know she really was a Medusa in human clothing. She was nasty when she worked and she played to win.

"Lindsey," Lilah said as she strode onto the elevator.

He nodded slightly as he moved over so they weren't in each others personal space. "Lilah," he replied.

The doors closed and the elevator moved downward. "Hollis thinks you're doing well in our little neck of the woods," she purred his way. He could tell she was checking him out. She did that with all the attractive men in the firm. "That's what you call places when you're from out in the country, isn't it?"

And of course she never let him forget he wasn't from a metropolis. He was from a small farming town. She always had to dig it in. Not that he was ashamed of it. But she made it sound like it was where the stupid people lived.

"That's good to know," Lindsey replied, not even looking her way. "I didn't realize that Mr. Manners talked about me. I guess he's thinking about giving me a few of your cases."

He knew her eyes went flat at that. Rule one in the life of Lilah Morgan, she didn't fail. If she did heads would roll and it would never be hers.

"Hardly," she said in a firmer tone as the 'ding' of the elevator went off and the doors opened showing the beautiful expanse of the lobby at Wolfram and Hart. The carpets were expensive off white. The staircase leading to the second floor was stylish and sleek in marble and wood, just like many of the pillars around the area. The offices were paneled in glass and the lobby area was filled with comfortable chairs and sofas for waiting executive clients.

Lindsey let her go out first as he was taught by his mother, always a gentleman. Lilah turned in the doorway putting her hands out to hold the doors from closing as she looked down at him. "If he does offer one, you may want to rethink it carefully," she warned him.

She turned and left making him hurry out of the elevator before the doors closed. He had riled her slightly which was an accomplishment in the firm. Gavin was best known for it, but that was because he knew her well. Lilah hated the man.

The two were halfway to the conference room when the massive sliding glass doors leading into the building chimed a little. Lilah turned at this and Lindsey looked with her. Being newer to the firm he wasn't sure what it meant but if she was concerned then he should be too.

Violet little lights flared up on the glass and Lilah took in a breath. "What is it?" he asked wanting to know what it meant.

The inner door slid open. That meant whoever was there wasn't locked in the corridor between the outside and inner doors, so they weren't a major threat to the firm. But security guards moved out into the lobby. No one had a chance to duck as a large red ball looking thing was lobbed through the doorway. Something sprayed out from it and the pristine walls and carpets were spattered with green ichor.

The red ball bounced on the floor a few times then rolled to a stop in front of Lilah's feet. It was a demon's head, the left eye was gouged out.

"Damn," Lilah muttered as Lindsey looked up to see a very young, short, but pretty blond come marching through the doorway.

A security guard who easily had over a hundred pounds on the blond came at her with a police baton. Lindsey's eyes went wide when the girl blocked the baton with a forearm stopping right where her arm was, she didn't give an inch on it as she countered with a sharp right hook knocking the guard back ten feet.

"Damn, damn, damn," Lilah said as two more teenagers came through the front door. A redheaded girl and a dark headed boy. This time the lights flared up in grays.

"What?" Lindsey asked. He knew Lilah knew who they were and he wanted to know.

"Who the hell is the boss around here?" the blond demanded to know.

The guard came at her again this time with a knife. Lindsey watched as she beat the crap out of the massive guard. With a roundhouse kick that even Bruce Lee would be proud of the guard sailed up into the air and landed on his head and didn't get up. The girl hadn't even broken a sweat. She had a scratch on her arm from a lucky swing with the knife but she seemed to not even notice it.

"Buff," the boy said and the blond looked his way. They both looked at the redhead who was looking at Lilah. "She's the one."

The blond came her way and Lilah stood her ground but Lindsey could see her shiver. That meant this girl was dangerous. Other than Hollis Manners, their boss, no one else scared Lilah… not until this girl.

"Are you the boss?" she asked Lilah.

"What is it you want?" Lilah asked looking at them. The boy and redhead were about six feet behind the blond and didn't come any closer.

"What do I want?" the blond replied getting angry. "We've had vampire, cops, demons, you name it coming after us all so you can get Willow. It stops now."

Lilah smirked a little. "What are you going to do Slayer?" The blonde's eyes opened at that. "You didn't think we knew who you were?" Lilah said condescendingly. "You and your boyfriend Angel patrolling around here last summer? Where is Angel at anyway?"

"Oh, that's bad," the boy whispered and the redhead nodded.

The Slayer's eyes narrowed and she stiffened. Lindsey felt like wetting his pants at the danger that exuded off of this… teenager, and he knew how to stay up in a fight with men bigger than him.

"We don't want you, we want Willow," Lilah replied as guards came up behind the three teenagers.

"Wrong answer," the Slayer said. She elbowed one guard in the stomach and with a hard left arm hit the other guard behind her with an arm to the throat. Lindsey could hear the hits they were so hard.

He saw the boy take out a crowbar from under his jacket and take on the guard behind him. The three headed for the redhead just stopped. They looked like they were stuck, the redhead had pointed at them and that was it.

"This really is for the best, Willow," Lilah told her. "You would do well to come with us now before your friends got hurt."

Lindsey figured that Willow was the redhead when the slip of a girl looked her way. "What do you want with me?" she asked. "What have I ever done to you?"

Lilah smiled and took a step forward only to have to step over the demon head with her expensive Italian high heels. "You have power, power that we want to harness into something fantastic. You'll be the most powerful witch in the world."

Willow blinked at this as six more guards came out from different places in the lobby. So far the boy and the Slayer were holding their own not taking much damage from the fighting. Lindsey had to respect that.

"I don't want to be owned by you, you're evil and I'm not," Willow stated firmly.

"Really?" Lilah replied. "The hellmouth has changed that. Anyone here with magic abilities can feel your presence. You can use the dark magics of Hell to your will and with it, you will control so many things. Wolfram and Hart will make sure you get the best schooling, anything you desire, and no one will punish you for anything you do for the firm."

Willow glanced back as Buffy went down sliding across the floor on her back from a strong hit. She had been hit a few times but there were four guard she had taken out already.

"Do you really want to see your friends suffer for this, Willow?" Lilah asked taking a step closer to the redhead. "You belong to us." Willow looked up at her and Lilah shrugged. "We're evil, we're lawyers, and we always get what we want."

Lindsey stepped back as the redhead's hair began to turn black. Willow shook her head. "I'm not evil, I don't belong to you, and you won't hurt my friends," she said.

Lilah smiled. "Are you sure about that?" she asked as Buffy went down under five men, none of them completely human.

Willow's eyes turned black and dark mists began to float around her. Lindsey could feel the raw power radiate out of her now and he stepped back farther. As tough as he was his daddy taught him to not be a fool.

Willow's hands went out to her sides and magic flew from her fingers in waves. Anyone who could ducked for cover as desks blew up, chunks of marble and concrete tore from the walls, stairs ripped up from the staircase, windows to the offices shattered.

Lindsey looked up from where he covered his face from flying debris to see the mists swirl around the girl. It wasn't just dark, there was a gold mist mixing with it. The debris didn't touch her, but if it did she probably wouldn't notice.

"Don't be stupid!" Lilah yelled at Willow from where she was huddled down on the floor.

The weave of the carpet on the floor shriveled, wood cracked and decayed, the head of the demon warped until it looked like dried out skull.

"Willow!" the boy screamed at her from somewhere in the lobby.

The magic stopped and Willow sank to her knees as her body shook. "You stupid witch!" Lilah said as she slowly stood heading for where the redhead was, the teenager looked ready to collapse.

The elevator doors opened and Hollis Manners, the head of the L.A. division of the firm stepped out. "What's this then?" he asked as he came out. He looked to see who was there and the millions of dollars of damage done to about three levels of the building.

"Get the witch!" Lilah told any standing guard.

The boy grabbed up a long knife abandoned in the fighting somewhere and grabbed Mr. Manners holding the blade to his neck.

"Don't touch her," the boy warned them.

Willow was almost out of it, her eyes barely open as she looked to the boy. "Xander don't," she told him.

The pile of bodies where the slayer had gone down heaved up violently with a lurch. Lindsey watched as they were pushed up and out and the blond, the Slayer, as Lilah called her, got out. She had been safe from the debris, but the guards hadn't, they were all out. She instantly took in what was going on. This young woman was a predator of the highest form.

"Xander, put it down," the Slayer told him.

The boy, Xander shook his head. "You know we aren't getting out of L.A.'s hellmouth if I do, Buffy," Xander told the blond.

"Everyone back off," Mr. Manners told everyone from where he watched. The knife to his neck didn't seem to worry him all that much. "Let them leave."

Buffy looked at him warily but she jumped over the debris easily and grabbed up Willow glaring at Lilah. She slung the redhead's arm around her neck and walked her to the door. Willow was barely walking under her own power. Xander walked Mr. Manners over towards the doors, still threatening with the knife. Everyone stayed away from them.

Lindsey couldn't make out what Mr. Manners said to the three as they got to the door but Buffy looked at him for a moment then nodded to Xander. The boy pushed Mr. Manners back into the building as Buffy picked Willow into her arms as if she weighed nothing and the two ran out through the doors.

"After them!" Lilah shouted at the three guards still standing.

Mr. Manners held up his hand watching the three teenagers leave. The guards stopped. "Chase them only, let them escape," he told the guards.

The guards headed out after them as Lilah went his way looking furious. Lindsey stood up and came up next to them. "What are you doing sir?" Lilah hissed at her boss. "We had her right here!"

Mr. Manners looked her way and she backed off a little. "The senior partners want an eye kept on our young witch. For now, she's free. She'll be ours soon enough," he told her.

The wards about the building chimed as five people magically appeared just outside the doorway. They were in robes and carried wands. Lilah had never seen the likes of them before. "Now what?" she muttered.

The people stepped through and looked around the building. "What happened here?" one asked.

Mr. Manners smiled pleasantly at them like nothing had happened. "Nothing to worry about Auror." The man who asked looked his way and the smile grew a little bigger. "I was wondering why I would need this today," Mr. Manners said as he pulled out a small old scroll. A scroll? Lindsey wondered. Mr. Manners handed it over and the man looked at it then at him. "I assure you," Mr. Manners told him, "it is all current with your Ministry."

The man scowled. "Damn that Hinklebottom," he muttered and handed it back. He motioned and the five left in mists of magic.

"What was that?" Lindsey asked.

Mr. Manners looked his way as he tucked the scroll back into his jacket pocket. "It seems is if our Seers need to do some more digging on our young witch."

Lindsey and Lilah watched him head for the conference room stepping over the bodies and damage there. "What Ministry?" Lilah asked.

Mr. Manners smiled. "The American Ministry of Magic. If it's true then young Miss Rosenberg isn't a Rosenberg at all."

Lindsey saw that Lilah was just as confused as he was. They followed Mr. Manners into the conference room, the door was on its last hinge and as it creaked shut it shattered behind him.

**oooooooooo**

**Somewhere around a mile or so away from Wolfram and Hart offices…**

Buffy leaned out from a doorway in some alley, only God knew where, to look for their pursuers. She had killed two of them, there were three more looking for them. For the last four blocks she hadn't seen anything of them. That didn't mean they weren't there.

Xander's dark thatch of hair came around the corner above her and brown eyes looked with her. "Anything?" he whispered.

"Who's holding Willow up?" she asked.

"My knee, I have many skills," Xander replied. "Anything?"

Buffy shook her head as she came back into hiding and the two stood on either side of their friend who was half out of it. She leaned on the doorframe like she was drunk and it was Xander's knee to her stomach that held her there. "Not even a spider tingle," she told him.

They each took an arm and led Willow out of the recess and down the alley. A few more turns and they came to just a little nicer alley. Off to one side as they passed they saw a word on a small plaque, next to it were steps leading down into the basement of a building. "Caritas," Xander said. "What's that?"

"Spanish, like a place to eat I think," Buffy guessed giving him a shrug.

"Mercy," Willow whispered.

The two friends looked at her and saw that it was the only thing their redheaded friend was going to say or do at the moment.

"Spanish for mercy then," Buffy said. They heard something behind them and Buffy moved them down the stairs. "Let's hope Will's right."

Xander opened the door that led in and they found themselves in a classy looking bar. There were round tables scattered about, the lights were low and colorful. There was a bar to the side and a stage to the other side. Luckily it was still open, unluckily it was full with things that go bump in the night. Up on stage was a blue skinned demon singing a very bad rendition of 'New York, New York'. There were colors, shapes, sizes, things that only they had seen in Giles's books.

Buffy handed her half of Willow over to Xander as she slowly moved forward. They watched as all eyes looked to them and a green skinned demon with small horns on his head and red eyes came their way. Surprisingly it wasn't to attack them. He was in a stylish yellow suit and a nice hairdo.

"All are welcome to Caritas," he said with a smile. "Even those with magical abilities. You are a little young to be in here though." He nodded to the demon who was still singing. "Maybe you can sing, 'cause Ethel Merman, he isn't." He laughed and the two teenagers who were conscious looked at each other like this was a weird dream. When the two didn't smile he looked a little more serious. "Lost?" he offered.

"You're a demon," Buffy said.

The demon waited a minute for her to continue, when she didn't then he spoke. "It's Caritas, all are welcome, sanctuary from violence, demons, human, you name it. Just no violence," he supplied in response.

"Demons are evil," Xander told him. "We know, we're from Sunnydale."

"Ah!" the demon replied at that. "Hellmouth, I don't recommend going there." He circled his finger around his ear. "The more violent ones go a little crazy with so much dark magic flowing there."

Glaring Buffy stepped forward and he stepped back raising his hands. "No violence in Caritas!" he told her. "Please."

"You are a demon," she said poking him in his chest and he touched the spot wincing. "Demon and evil, what part of that didn't get through?"

"I'm not evil, just different," he said. "Name's Lorne, I'm your Host for the evening."

Buffy looked at the clientele. "And them?"

"Not here they aren't," Lorne told her. "Magic bound not to harm another while in my club."

"Magics," Willow got out. "Mercy… Wolf… Hart…" She sighed heavily as she looked up at Buffy and Lorne. "Green man," she finished with a little giggle only to have her eyes roll back slumping into Xander's body.

Lorne was going to help but Buffy pulled out a stake from her belt and he stepped back. "I just wanted to help," he told her. "I have an apartment up above. Or better yet you can leave."

Buffy looked to Xander who looked back as he picked Willow up in his arms. "I don't think we got a choice," he whispered to his friend. "They know where we were staying and the cops are still looking for us."

Buffy looked to Willow who was very pale and her face was drawn. Buffy was tired and Xander didn't look much better. Buffy looked back at Lorne. "Anything funny and every demon in here dies."

Lorne sighed and motioned for her to follow him. They went through the club and to a locked doorway that said 'Employee Entrance Only' in about three languages, one neither of them could recognize. They went up some steps.

"I heard about the Slayer living in Sunnydale," Lorne said as he opened up the door to a nice apartment suite. "Not the best place to live, even for them." He motioned to a room and Buffy checked it out to see it was just a bedroom with a queen bed in it, nothing much else but spare furniture. She motioned to Xander who put Willow down. "Should I offer anything? Bath, drink, moist towelette?"

Buffy sat down heavily on the end of the bed. "I don't trust you, but I don't have a choice. Some stupid law firm is after our friend."

Lorne looked curious. "The Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart?" he replied. The two looked his way and he nodded. "Stay far away from them, cupcakes. Evil as they come and I'm the black sheep where I come from, pacifist and everything."

Xander sat by Buffy. "Could we talk for a minute?" he asked the demon.

Lorne nodded a little raising his hands up in a friendly gesture. "I'll be working downstairs, I ask you don't steal or break anything."

They waited until he was gone. "She okay?" Buffy asked.

"Sleeping," Xander said. "She's cold and really pale, but the magics were vibin' and I'm surprised we aren't all dead."

"That man was," Buffy said tiredly. "What were you thinking?"

Xander rubbed his eyes as the anger built up. "That we were all gonna be toast, Buff!" he said hotly. "Damn it, what did you want me to do? Let that long legged bitch just take Will?"

"No!" Buffy retorted as she stood up and paced around looking at anything but the dark headed boy as she thought, then her blue eyes snapped his way. "But if he hadn't of told them to let us go? Then what?"

"He did! What does it matter?" Xander countered folding his arms as he scowled at his friend.

"Because I don't want you becoming a murderer for me, Xander!" she shot back at him angrily.

Xander stood up and they faced off at the end of the bed. He could see she was scared, not of him, but for him. "I won't!" he yelled. "But I'm going to do what I have to, to protect my family! And how do you know he's human?"

Buffy blinked a few times at this. "What?" she asked.

"You don't know if he's human," Xander said still scowling.

"Before that part," she told him.

Xander thought about what he'd said. He shrugged. "You and Will, you're like my sisters… you're my family." He tried to make it seem like it was nothing.

"A sister with benefits?" Buffy asked and Xander scowled deeper. "I know you like me, like me. You said it a few days ago."

"Did," Xander said running his fingers through his hair he turned from her to walk around the small room a bit. "I said it mostly because I had been hoping…" He shrugged again looking resigned. "I knew I didn't have a chance, and I didn't want Cordelia to think she was all that. So a sister. You and Will, you're all I got. And I know I'm not a Slayer or a Witch, just mere mortal, but I'm not a coward."

Buffy leapt across the few feet between them and hugged him close. Xander was surprised but he hugged her back. "You aren't a coward, Xander," she whispered happily. "You're the bravest mere mortal this slayer has ever known." Xander hugged her tighter.

**oooooooooo**

**To Be Continued…**


	25. Chapter 25

**Later in the Day…**

Willow swallowed as she turned where she was lying…, it felt like she was on a bed. It was comfy and warm. Her head hurt, she was thirsty, and… she needed to pee. It was the latter one that forced her to finally open her eyes.

She found herself looking at surroundings she had never seen before on the wall and different but nice colored paint on the ceiling. It was when she turned fully to see the entire room that she spotted Buffy half sleeping in a chair by the door in what seemed like guard duty. Willow sat up and Buffy's eyes opened by pure hunter instinct to something moving in the room.

"Will?" Buffy asked sleepily as she rubbed the corners of her eyes to wake up.

"I'm here," Willow said hoarsely then cleared her throat as she climbed off the bed. "Bathroom?"

Buffy nodded pointing out the door as she stretched to wake up, "To the left."

Willow beelined it to where Buffy said the bathroom was still dressed in her rumpled clothes from when she passed out sans shoes. She came out a few minutes later seeing Buffy was there with coffee. "Two questions," Willow said as she gratefully took the mug handed to her.

"Only two? Color me happy. Shoot," Buffy told her before taking a sip of her coffee.

"One," Willow replied after swallowing. "Where are we?"

Buffy smiled grimly and shook her head as if trying not to think about it, "Apartment above a demon bar."

Willow blinked in surprise at that, especially with Buffy's reply. "O-kay," she said looking around more carefully, it didn't look like what she expected something above a demon bar to look like, quite normal actually. "I didn't know demons color coordinated."

Buffy shrugged. "You gotta meet the demon." Willow nodded a little at that. "Second question?" Buffy asked.

"Why are we here?" Willow asked.

Buffy took another sip as she thought about what to say. Willow joined her taking a big sip herself in what was a nice cup of coffee. "Well, we were running from Wolfram and Hart's big minions," Buffy finally replied and Willow nodded remembering something about it. "And we found Caritas; I thought it was a kind of Mexican dish. You said mercy. Turns out its Lorne's night club," Buffy told her as she still looked a little put out. "Though, it's open more in the day, Lorne doesn't really sleep. He does like to shop though."

The door opened to the apartment and Willow took a step back as a flamboyantly dressed, tall, green-skinned humanoid demon walked in. "Willow, Lorne. Lorne, she's awake," Buffy told him.

He smiled as he came her way and held out her hand. "Good morning there, Sugar," he told her. She smiled just a little as she slowly took his hand. He winked her way. "You took my hand a lot faster than the Slayer here, took til today before that happened."

Willow blinked at this then looked at Buffy who was watching and waiting for the question as she sipped on her mug. "How long?" Willow asked quietly.

"Two days," Buffy replied. "We came here yesterday morning; Lorne said you'd wake up today."

Willow's eyes went back to the green skinned demon who smiled. "One of my specialties, you're aura is a blaze of light with all of the magic you had runnin' around you yesterday," he told her.

Buffy smiled just a little as Willow nodded but the smile came. "What's happening with everyone looking for us?" she asked Buffy.

"Xander got our stuff from the motel. We figured he was the only one who could get around the cops and everyone seeing how much trouble I'm in. We've been here waiting for you to wake up," Buffy said with a shrug as she looked to Lorne. "And we've been learning that there are some demons that aren't so bad."

Lorne smiled as he nodded slightly her way. "As always pumpkin, there is more to the life of the underworld than pure black and white." He looked to the clock. "I need to be off and see how Xander's doing with restocking, and I have an appointment." He smiled at Willow once more and left.

Willow's looked Buffy's way a little shocked as the door clicked shut and Buffy nodded with a wince. "He's so not with the evil destroy the world stuff."

"More like a weird Liza Minnelli vibe," Willow replied.

Buffy snorted out a laugh and the two began to laugh just at the weirdness of their situation. Willow lay back onto the bed setting her empty cup to the side table and Buffy joined her on the bed. "You okay?" Buffy asked her.

Willow nodded. "I used up a lot of energy," she replied softly. She shook her head as the tears came. "I can't believe some stupid evilly place wants me because I'm a witch."

Buffy nodded. "We'll get through it," she told her as she wrapped her arms about Willow and the tears continued to fall, which in turn made Buffy's tears come. She missed her mom, she wished she was home and she could curl up in her arms and her mom would tell her everything was okay and tomorrow was just another day.

The door opened and Xander came in and the two on the bed looked his way. He made a face. "If I wasn't the better guy I'd have a very crude and dirty comment at the moment," he told them.

The two on the bed smiled a little at that then Willow held her hand out to him and in normal Xander fashion he jumped onto the bed to lie down between the two of them and the girls cuddled up on either side.

"We're a bunch of crazy mixed up kids," Xander said lightly.

"My mom kicked me out, my ex-boyfriend is dead, and I'm wanted for murder," Buffy replied.

Willow wiped her eyes. "My parents abandoned me, a stupid, evil law firm wants to own me, and I have a bunch of wizards after me along with the State of California."

Willow turned a little to look at Xander when he was silent. He shrugged but you could see the pain in his eyes. "My dad beat the hell out of me when he was drunk… other than that, no one wants me, not even the State, police or a bunch of wizards."

"We want you Xander," Willow told him and then Buffy climbed on top of both of them breaking the solemn mood as the three began to laugh.

**oooooooooo**

**Motel 6…**

Giles and Jenny looked around the room that the girls had stayed in. They found it by the dead demon in the parking lot behind the motel and Jenny's skill as a hacker. Not up to Willow's par, but she found that Xander's father had reported a car stolen and it had been towed from the parking lot late that evening.

"They took their stuff, Rupert," Jenny said looking around as she picked up a forgotten small bag tucked in the bathroom, it was full of makeup and odds and ends. "Buffy's, I'm assuming."

Giles nodded as he saw there was diet coke and other assorted soda cans in the trash with fast food wrappers. Diet coke was Buffy's drink of choice if it came out of a machine. "Willow's not really known for make up," Giles replied as he looked around.

"How did they get past everything?" Jenny asked as the two wizards showed up outside the door. "The police and the wizards have been combing over this area looking for them."

"There was underage magic used in the law offices of Wolfram and Hart this morning," Tonks told them from where she and Lupin stood in the doorway looking around at the site of an American muggle motel room. "It was them; the aurors are looking for Willow now."

Giles pinched at the bridge of his nose. "What were they thinking?" he asked himself angrily.

"They're teenagers Rupert," Jenny replied as she sat on the end of the bed. "You have Xander who's always ready to do what the two girls want, Willow who's not sure of what's going on in her life, and Buffy who's tired, angry and scared."

Giles sighed as he sat down in the seat by the TV and looked to his… girlfriend then to the two wizards. "And now they've disappeared."

Jenny slowly nodded as Lupin looked put out at that. "They'll turn up," Tonks told them. "Somewhere, they will."

Giles made a noise of agreement. "I hope it's in ours – and their favor, though."

**oooooooooo**

**The Following Evening …**

It took another day for Willow to be rested enough to even want to venture out of the apartment the three were sharing. It had come to that evening when she opened the door and saw a small hallways and a set of stairs off to her left.

She could hear a slight sound of some upbeat music playing. Encouraged that it wasn't fighting sounds and from getting to know Lorne, who was actually very nice, she went down the stairs and slowly peeked around the corner to see what was going on.

It was sorta like the Bronze, only it was livelier, for an adult crowd instead of teenagers. There was a bar with Lorne and a few other demons by it watching the stage as someone sang… karaoke.

Willow peered further around the door to see there was a scattering of round tables and chairs, half of them were filled with a variety of 'things that go bump in the night' sitting and drinking. Some of them were even watching as the last line of 'I Did It My Way' was belted out by a warbly tenor.

She glance to see Xander up on stage with the microphone in his hand and a scattering of applause as he did a grand bow for them and Lorne came up towards the stage.

"Now there's something you don't hear everyday, isn't it folks?" Lorne asked. "Another round for Xander!"

There was a little more applause as hands touched Willow's arm, she screamed letting out a lash of magic as she defended herself to see Buffy pushed back by the blow about six feet to the wall.

"Geez Will!" Buffy said pulling herself off of the wall but she didn't look put out since she was smiling. "Touchy much?"

Willow sighed; glad to see it was her friend. "Lots of demons around, sorta makes me touchy."

"And Xander's singing," Buffy said. "I think he likes it." She took Willow's arm and peeled her off the door making her come out into the open with her. "There's a spell on the place," she told her as she dragged Willow toward the bar, a lot of the inhabitants were looking their way. "No one can harm another here. I like it." She thought about it. "Apparently you can do some damage here if that spell worked. Have to ask Lorne about that."

Xander came their way looking happy as he took up a bar towel. "Will! I think I found my calling!"

"Singing?" Willow asked warily, he wasn't that good.

"Nah, that's just a sideline for Lorne to get others up there. Bartending!" Xander exclaimed happily. He pulled out a lighter and lit it waving it at the two of them. "Name's Xander, wanna talk about it?"

Buffy rolled her eyes as she easily snatched the lighter away from him. "You're not old enough to serve beer."

"I'm in a demon bar, who's going to check ID here?" he asked trying to get the lighter back from the Slayer. "Besides, Lorne's like the nicest guy slash demon I've ever met."

"So you want to stay here?" Willow asked. She still had her family to find.

Buffy sighed as the three looked to each other. "Maybe we should." Willow looked worried at that but Buffy amended it quickly. "Until the heats off, then maybe we'll be okay to head to England."

"I go to support you, not just because of the Spice Girls hailing from the land of Giles," Xander said with a grin, they were the hottest girl band going. "But to travel out of this land called California and Giles said I can get something called a mister whippy."

He got disgusted looks from the girls. "That's so X rated," Willow said shocked. She did look a little intrigued.

"Giles told you about it?" Buffy asked. "My Giles? Stuffy Giles?"

"It's a food!" Xander said. The frowns on the girls' faces deepened and he looked thoughtful. "I think it is! I thought it was!"

"If we didn't have to go I think I would stay," Buffy said looking around but mostly at Lorne. "He's been good, better than good."

"Even when Buffy threatened him," Xander said with a knowing grin.

Willow looked Buffy's way and the Slayer shrugged. "See demon, slay demon! It's fixed in the brain now!" she said defending. "This is the first place since I was called where I don't have to worry about fighting." She looked to her friends. "It's nice."

Willow looked up as a demon with a shark head got up on the karaoke stage to sing. And to think, this was becoming normal for her.

**oooooooooo**

**Two Days After Willow Woke Up…**

Hermione and Ron followed Harry outside late at night, avoiding the Inquisition and Filch as they snuck down towards Hagrid's abandoned hut, Hagrid having been fired and all.

"Why we coming out so late?" Ron asked through a yawn. Harry had shaken him to get up and dragged him out to find Hermione was waiting but looking tired herself.

"It was Sirius!" Hermione said as she crept along behind Ron watching their back with her wand out.

"Where?" Ron asked opening his eyes a little more to look about in the darkness.

"A dog's howl from Hagrid's!" Harry told him urgently to get his friend to shut up. You never knew who was watching nowadays.

They made it down the path to the back entrance of Hagrid's and went inside. Hermione shut the curtains as Harry lit up a candle keeping the light to a minimum so they didn't draw any attention to the hut. "Sirius?" he asked looking around.

"Here," Sirius called out as he transformed from a large black dog hidden under Hagrid's massive bed into his human form. He still looked tired and harried, but he was healthier with a little sun to his skin than the last time they had seen him. He smiled at his young friends and hugged Harry. "How are you Harry?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "It's a right mess," he told him.

"Who's Willow?" Ron asked as he yawned again.

Sirius looked to Harry. "You don't remember anything about last summer?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "Why don't I remember?" he replied as he sat down on an oversized chair at the table looking to his godfather. "I would remember having a sister."

Ron nodded in agreement at that, no way on earth he could forget his; if he did she'd remind him. Sirius sat down on the bed looking to him. "Last summer when you were at the house, you found a cache of mine where I put the last few things in before the Ministry caught up with me and I was sent to Azkaban, Harry," Sirius said seriously. "You found a picture of you, your parents and your sister, then ones of me and you as well as Remus and Willow. He's her godfather like I am yours."

The three teenagers were looking at him now. "W-hy isn't she here at Hogwarts?" Ron asked curiously.

Sirius sighed. "There is more than one prophecy on you Harry, one that involves your sister as well. Because her birth was only known to precious few; your parents, Remus and I thought it would be best to hide Willow where Voldemort couldn't find her."

"Is she a squib then?" Hermione asked. "She would still be sent an owl if she was a witch."

Sirius smiled a little. "No, she's not a squib. Remus took her to the states, out of Ministry authority. She would grow up going to one of the American Academies," he informed them.

Harry shook his head looking sad and angry. "When my parents died… why didn't I go with her then? Why to the Dursley's?"

Sirius sighed. "I wasn't there to stop any of it," he told his godson gently, reminding him that he couldn't care for anyone being locked up for something he didn't do. Harry's green eyes watched him. "That and Willow was lost, there was an incident with Bloodfangs when she was still an infant. The family that had adopted her was found dead, and she was never found. Remus has been searching for her since only to take time away to teach you during your third year."

"But she's alive, yes?" Hermione asked now caught up in it all. "You said so in the fire the other day."

Sirius broke into a huge grin as he held Harry's arms. "She is and we have! She was in a Californian city called Sunnydale! She looks so like your mother, Harry! Just how you and your father look so closely a like!"

Harry felt tears come to his eyes. "Where is she?" he asked. "Why isn't she with you? Does she know about me?"

Sirius shook his head. "I don't know." He looked at Harry seriously now. "That spell, the one all of the wizarding world noticed," he said and the teens nodded knowing what he was talking about. "She was the one who cast it."

Hermione clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as Ron looked surprised. Harry shook his head not understanding. Hermione touched his shoulder with her fingertips. "Harry, something of that magnitude… I'm not sure if Dumbledore could do something like that."

Harry looked to Sirius who nodded in agreement. "There was a battle, aurors, us, bloodfangs, death eaters. Everyone wanted to see who cast such a spell. She got away but Remus and Tonks along with two muggles who have cared for her are out looking."

Harry grabbed Sirius' arms. "I want to go with you. I want to find her."

"Let Remus find her for now, if he- we don't in the next week or so I swear to you Harry, I will come and get you and we'll look together," he said sincerely.

Harry watched him for a long moment. "Your word please, Sirius. Dumbledore, all of them have put me aside."

Sirius gave him a look. "Would I do that to you?" he asked. Harry shook his head. Both he and Lupin had always been upfront and honest with him.

"Who made Harry forget?" Ron asked. He was now fully awake with the excitement going on. That and he was hungry, but it could wait.

"Why is a better question," Hermione interposed. "Why would someone want you to forget your own sister?"

"I bet it was bloody Snape," Ron groused as he rested his head on his arms perched on the table.

Harry looked to Sirius. "Does he know about Willow?" he asked.

Sirius shook his head. "There was only your parents, myself, Remus… and Dumbledore."

Hermione and Ron looked surprised but Harry's eyes narrowed in anger. "Harry," Hermione asked. "Dumbledore wouldn't-," she started.

Harry turned to face her. "He left me- us, to that toad in there, 'Mione! Not seen nor heard all year long! Why wouldn't he?" He stood up and paced around the room. "If this prophecy of ours is so important and I knew about her-," he said but Hermione butted in.

"Harry, it's your sister. Why would he?" Hermione asked him not understanding.

"Because if Voldemort knew of her," Sirius replied more calmly and they looked his way, "then he could hold her as bait against Harry."

"But no one knew where she was," Ron got in.

"If every Death Eater out there knew there was a sibling of 'the boy who lived'… they would tear Britain apart looking for her," Sirius said. The three teens were quiet at that. "Now do you see why it was so important for her to remain hidden?"

"What about now?" Hermione asked. "They know about her. Everyone does."

Sirius nodded. "Which is why Remus and I must find her first and bring her here to where it's safe."

"But why did he do that to me?" Harry asked. "Why obliviate me?"

Sirius sighed shaking his head. "I don't know, Harry, honestly. It could be why he had Snape giving you occlumency lessons."

"Wouldn't Snape find out about her that way?" Ron asked.

The room was silent for a long moment and Harry shook his head getting really angry. Sirius held his arms firmly to keep him from tearing off up to the castle. "Harry," Sirius told him just as firmly, "let it go. There's nothing you can do about it."

Harry shook his head again. "I'll never trust him again. Never," he got out.

Sirius sighed but hugged him close. "Ask him why he did it first."

Harry broke away shaking his head. "This is my sister! The only flesh and blood I have left!" He looked to Sirius with a scowl that always seemed to be there lately. "What if he did it to you?"

Sirius said nothing as they looked to each other.

**oooooooooo**

**The Same Day Back in California…**

Giles and Lupin looked to the offices of Wolfram and Hart from the edge of the parking lot where Lupin had apparated them to just a few minutes ago. "This is a horrible idea," Giles told him as he wiped his glasses.

"It's the only lead before they disappeared, Rupert," Lupin reminded him.

Giles sighed but nodded. He had agreed that it was the best, but truly he didn't like it. If the children had been there he would have given all of them an earful about even coming to such a place. Now with it two days after learning about the incident at Wolfram and Hart and they haven't been seen anywhere all of them were frantic. Jenny was at her wits end. She had done some spells and found the three were alive and healthy, but she couldn't locate them. Even the two wizards couldn't locate them with their magic.

Mrs. Summers had contacted him several times and was headed to Los Angeles to help look for Buffy and the others. The Harris' he gave up on, they didn't care. That did give Child Services an inkling to take a look into Xander's home life though.

The two walked towards the doorway as Giles looked to the wizard. Last night the four had sat down and brainstormed about how to find the missing children. Remus had peppered the two for the most part with questions about Willow. What was she like, how was she doing in school. Even Jenny finally had to concede that the wizard's sole intent was on finding Willow and caring for her.

The horrid part was learning about the Potters and why Willow had been taken away to the States as an infant. Remus and Tonks, both knew Harry, Willow's brother. Remus more so than Tonks having taught him at Hogwarts, a wizarding school, that made Giles stop and reflect.

There were wizarding schools. Schools with magic users in them. The Council didn't know about this. Or if they did they didn't tell the underlings. Giles wondered for a brief moment what his life would have been like if he had been at one instead of learning on his own. The wrong way of course, but nothing he could do about that now. He wasn't a wand wizard, as he began to think of them, but even so, a school for regular people like himself would be of great use.

They went through the sliding doors and looked inside to see construction being done everywhere. All of the carpet had been stripped off, it looked like they were replacing whole segments of columns, everywhere, everything was torn apart. Either that or massive redecorating.

Neither man believed it, not with knowing that the three wayward teenagers were on the loose and had been there a few days ago. They went up to the receptionist who was looking harried at everything going on.

"We'd like to speak with Lilah Morgan," Giles told her.

The receptionist flipped through a book. "Name?" she asked glancing up at them then to Lupin and gave him the once over.

"Giles, Rupert Giles," he told her.

She glanced at Lupin but he just returned the look and she made a face looking to her book. Slowly she shook her head. "You aren't on the list," she told them with a small smirk.

"Then inform her that we're here about this," Lupin replied firmly as he waved his hand over the lobby area.

"Ms. Morgan is busy, you need to make an appointment," she told him back.

Lupin scowled, his frustration at another roadblock showed clearly in his eyes and with a simple snap his wand was out and he look to a just replaced column. "Bombarda!" he said and the thing blew into large chunks spraying the room in white dust and fragments of marble. Everyone but he and two 'men' ducked for cover. He looked back at the receptionist who was very humble now. "Now," he growled letting the werewolf in him come out, "please," he said a little softer.

The dust had settled as a beautiful woman dressed impeccably in a business suit came out and Giles motioned with his chin to Lupin that it was the woman in question.

"I know you," she said giving Giles a not pleasant once over then looks to Lupin. "What do you want?"

"We know Ms. Rosenberg and her friends came here," Giles said where they stood. Lilah's eyes flattened at this. "We know you wanted her when she was up for custody," he continued. "We want them back, Willow, Buffy and Xander."

"They aren't here," Lilah spat at them. "I don't care about the other two brats, but that witch, she's ours." She choked up as a strong hand caught her about the throat. She looked over to see Lupin and he was furious and much stronger than any mortal man.

"Willow is not yours," he told her in a deadly tone. "I can smell lies and corruption on you. Bring us the children and maybe, I'll let you live."

Giles wanted to stop him, but this was years of frustration and a threat against Lupin's goddaughter. And the firm did reek of evil.

Security guards came out to surround them but Lupin's wand was out and he was on guard. "Let me go and maybe you'll live," Lilah got out painfully.

Lupin squeezed a little tighter as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. "I see, the adults have come for the pups," Holland Manners said as he came down the steps looking at the new damage done to the lobby. "There's no need to fight here. The three were allowed to leave two days ago," he told them as he motioned to the security guards to back off. Lilah looked his way as she fought for air. "And if you could let my associate go," he said as an afterthought.

Lupin growled just a little as he let her go, blood streaking her neck. "The children haven't been seen since they were here," Giles said dangerously. "We want them back."

Mr. Manners nodded. "And yet, we don't have them."

"There are two very angry mothers who would want proof of that," Giles replied.

"That woman isn't Ms. Rosenberg's mother," Lilah got out as she took up a cloth from one of the security guards and dabbed at her neck, she was mad.

"I wouldn't say that to her face," Giles warned her.

"Then have your magical friend her check to see that they are not," Mr. Manners replied. Lilah gave him a look of disbelief. "An angry mother is not one to scoff at Ms. Morgan," he told her sagely. "Please check."

Lupin put out his wand. "Locus Willow!" he got out a light appeared above his wand then flashed out. "Locus Buffy!" he tried again. The small ball of light appeared again then flashed out. "Locus- Xander!" he said trying to remember the boy's name. The light did the same again.

"Now," Mr. Manners replied. "Anything else?"

Lupin stepped towards him pointing his wand at him. "Willow is my goddaughter, mine. I will destroy anyone that dares to hurt her."

Mr. Manners nodded slowly. "Threat noted and accepted."

Giles and Lupin scowled but they left, there was no arguing with someone who was totally agreeable. Giles shook his head as they went outside. "Where do we look now?" he asked. "They could have the children hidden somewhere else."

Lupin shook his head. "He was telling the truth about not knowing where they are," Lupin told him. "That light should have followed to where they were, it didn't… at all. Which means if they've hid them not even my magic can break it." Giles sighed as they apparated away.

Inside Mr. Manners was looking around as clean up started again. "Why do you let them get away with this?" Lilah demanded as she found the bleeding at her neck had stopped.

Mr. Manners looked her way and she backed off just a little, making Manners upset would get her in a lot of pain. "The Senior Partners do things in their own time. You failed to bring her in when she was up for foster care."

"Gavin-," she started but he raised his hand to stop her.

"With the Slayer and human boy at her side she showed us her abilities, but now she must learn control. When she is vulnerable, then we will see." He turned to leave but looked towards her. "You'll need to go down to the labs."

Lilah frowned at this as she glanced his way. "Why?"

He smirked just a little as he motioned to the marks on her neck. "You should know better than to let a werewolf scratch you."

Lilah felt her neck looking at him again and he nods, the man was a werewolf and he had scratched her neck. "On purpose probably," Manners answered her question. "You threatened his goddaughter. And her guardian is a Romany gyspy, be careful who you tangle with if you want to see the Rosenberg file through, Ms. Morgan. You don't have any young of your own, but I tell you, I'd rather deal with the Senior Partners than an angry mother, especially one with eons of power behind her curses."

Lilah stormed down the hallway towards the lower levels to the labs. Everyone in the vicinity had heard and seen what had happened. There was a soft wolf howl from somewhere and she turned with death in her eyes but no one looked her way. She continued on her way not seeing Lindsay hiding around the corner silently laughing.

**oooooooooo**

**Caritas, One Day Later After Lilah gets hers …**

Willow sat at one of the back tables; next to Buffy on a break they both had drinks mixed by Lorne for the teenagers that were mocktails. No alcohol for an excitable teenage boy, a Slayer or a Witch. Xander had been a little disappointed about it, but let it go after Lorne began to teach him how to mix the real drinks. And at the moment Xander was behind the bar mixing away for anyone that came through.

"Maybe he really did find his calling," Willow whispered. Odd since he had his alcoholic father and his rages to deal with since he was a child. They lessened as Xander got larger, but now it was just indifference, which was worse… Willow picked indifference, always worse. At lease with rage you knew they cared enough to hate you.

"Oh my god," Buffy whispered and Willow looked her way then to what Buffy was looking at. A Minotaur, or a Minotaur looking demon went up center stage, microphone in hand. The two teens were fixated in horror and awe. Not about what it was, more so at what the figure was wearing. "Is that a sequined cocktail dress?" Buffy asked under her breath.

Willow nodded and the two jaws dropped as the demon began to sing with the opening number to 'The Sound of Music' in a very disturbing falsetto bass voice.

"He did a resounding Judy Garland collection last week," Lorne told them as he sat down across the way from them with his own glass in hand. Always a sea breeze, the two girls knew how to make one, Xander had told it to them a thousand times over the past two days.

"Please tell me he didn't dress like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz," Buffy pleaded with him.

"No, no Dorothy or Toto," Lorne replied with a little grin.

"Thank god, that image would have scarred me for life," Buffy told him taking a sip of her drink. The two looked at Willow who had been silent so far. The three made a face as the demon switched songs to 'Do-Re-Mi', the highest note made the speakers squeal just a little.

Willow looked their way to see them looking at her and she blushed. She liked Lorne; he was the first nice 'normal' demon she'd ever met. Even in Caritas where the majority of Lorne's clientele were looking for a 'normal', non-evil life.

"Willow, pixie girl, can you do me a favor?" Lorne asked.

Pixie girl, Willow smiled a little at that. She was 'pixie girl', Buffy was his 'petite enforcer' and Xander was his 'right hand man'. "What's that?" she asked.

Lorne nodded to the catchy tune still being sung. "Hum a few notes."

Willow looked worried. "I thought you could see her aura," Buffy replied understanding what he wanted. He asked her to sing for him last night.

"Her aura and her future are two different things, and you three aren't the normal teenagers of the World," he told her. Buffy hadn't liked some of what he had told her. She was on a razor's edge with Angel's death and their running. She was the strongest of the three, but they were still three, not one. Xander was willing to take some of the burden and to let him. So was Willow, but Willow couldn't, not now. It was their time to buck up for the red head.

Willow swallowed then took a sip of her fruity drink and as the music changed once more to 'My Favorite Things'. The demon's voice would have made them cringe but Willow looked to the tabletop and her voice cracked slightly but she began to hum with it.

Lorne watched her seriously and she didn't look up once as she made it through one verse before her throat caught. He blinked and wary hazel eyes looked up at him. Buffy's blue eyes were watching him as well; they were a lot more guarded than Willow's ever would be.

"You know, even after the threats of death and all, I'm fond of you kids," Lorne told them.

"But we have to leave," Buffy replied looking away from him in disappointment.

Lorne felt bad for them. None of them had good breaks here, but they couldn't hide anymore. Destiny would catch up with them. Willow looked away now too and he sighed. "I need to find my family," Willow whispered.

"There's that," Lorne told them. "I know what this world is, started as a Hell, I get it. You three, there are things you have to do to make sure this place doesn't go back to that."

Buffy closed her eyes. "Until we're dead."

"Who says so?" Lorne asked and the two girls looked his way curiously. "I mean, everyone eventually dies. But you two, you girls, you aren't normal, even for demons you aren't normal, you're heroines."

"I didn't ask to be," Buffy said as anger and sorrow came to her voice.

"They never do, honey," Lorne said softly. "They just are."

Buffy slouched down in her seat even more displeased, Willow's fingers curled around Buffy's bicep in support for her friend. "What did you see-, about me?" Willow asked.

Lorne sighed and Buffy's eyes opened. "You have at least three prophecies on you," the demon told her.

Buffy sighed heavier and rolled her eyes. "We all know how good those are," she told him.

"Do you know what they are?" Willow asked.

Lorne shook his head. "But they're important Pixie Girl. That I know. It's also why you can't stay. You can't do what you need to from here."

Willow glanced over to where Xander was. "He could." The two looked at her then to Xander. "He's happy here," she whispered.

"He wouldn't be happy without you," Lorne told her.

Willow winced. "I- I don't think of him that way."

Lorne smiled. "I know, she's out there, waiting. If you stay here she's all alone."

"You mean she's destined to find someone?" Buffy asked.

"Not just someone, HER someone," Lorne replied.

"Her true love," Buffy said somberly and Willow's eyebrows went up at that.

"Doesn't mean you won't either," Lorne told the Slayer. He leaned in just a little pushing his empty glass to the center of the table. "Life will get better, not easy, but better." Buffy sighed and she rubbed at her eyes but Lorne's red ones looked back at Willow. "By the way, Pixie Girl, you better tell him you're into… you know… girls," Lorne said nodding in Xander's direction as he stood up taking his glass with him.

Buffy looked to Willow who sighed loudly this time. "You never told him?"

Willow slouched down in her seat now. "When could I? 'By the way Xander I happen to think your girlfriend's hot, and not by the Kelvin scale.'"

Buffy rolled her eyes not understanding half of it, they looked to their friend who saw them and he waved happily. "I'm not sure what some Kevin has to do with it, but he's going to be upset."

Willow sighed heavily. "You and Jenny – you're the only ones who know."

"She figured it out?" Buffy asked, proud she had done so herself.

"Mostly, we were at that first sabbat and it was mostly women and girls-," she stopped.

"Did they dance naked in the moonlight?" Buffy asked with a smile. Willow closed her eyes and blushed making Buffy chuckle.

Willow pushed at her friend's arm to make her stop. "H-He's always so into girls, and I-."

"Clues were there, I got them – Xander's a boy and clueless, so not to worry," Buffy replied.

Willow opened her eyes and looked to Buffy. "How'm I going to tell him?" she got out. "It's not like I didn't want to – but I – it's like the whole witch thing."

Buffy blinked at this then over to Xander who was watching them curiously. He came their way and Buffy nudged her. "Not sure, but no time like the present."

Willow went absolutely still in fear, her hazel eyes sliding over to see Xander coming their way. "Geez, don't get all excited I'm here, Will," Xander said sitting down where Lorne had been. "You two look all serious and stuff, what's with the stuff and seriousness?"

Buffy finished her drink and looked to Willow. "You want me to get a refill?" she asked offering to leave the two of them alone.

Willow went pale and clutched Buffy's arm. "NO!"

Xander blinked at this watching the two. "You know, the only time you freak out is when you need to t-e-ll… me something," he slowly finished. "Willow," he said in a pretty good Desi Arnaz accent. "You got some 'splainin' to do?"

"I-I-um," Willow stuttered out looking at her oldest best friend who had one eyebrow raised up watching her with those trusting brown eyes. "I'm a h-horrible person Xander!" she got out.

Xander looked thoughtful at that remark glancing at Buffy who was just watching, not giving any clues or anything as to why his Will had tears coming. "O-kay, why are you a horrible person?" he asked.

"I- it's just okay, you and me we've been friends and we promised not to keep secrets anymore and I didn't mean too but it's just so not something you just TELL I mean how do you just tell people friend like people like you that I'm not normal average Willow not that I'm really normal or average but you know normal boy liking Willow which I'm not," she told him in one long run waving her hands about as she talked.

Xander's eyes were wide by then as he tried to follow along, then it looked like he was repeating it again in his head. It looked like Buffy was too and she even knew what Willow was trying to tell him. He reached over and held Willow's hand in his. "You're my normal Willow, no matter what," he told her comfortingly.

Willow let out a sigh of relief at this and Buffy rolled her eyes. "He didn't get it Will," she told her.

"Get what?" Xander asked.

Willow paled even more and Buffy covered her friend's mouth before she could start again, probably on a longer and stranger tangent this time. "Xander, Willow's trying to tell you that she's gay."

Xander's eyes 'popped' cartoon-like in their sockets as he looked to his blonde best friend, then to his redheaded best friend. Willow nodded, her mouth still covered. "So Oz?" he asked.

"One date, Xander," Buffy told him.

"Will?" Xander asked.

Buffy released her mouth. "Simple words, few words, boy with no clue, remember," she told Willow.

"Gay," Willow whispered.

"Works for me," Buffy replied.

"You knew?" he said to Buffy.

"I watched the clues, Xander. I asked, she told. I'm her first kiss by the way," Buffy said with a smirk.

"What?!" Xander got out looking at Willow for confirmation, the blush gave it to him and he looked to Buffy. "What about Deadboy?" He looked at her in horror. "Are you gaying out on me too?" He stared at them for a long moment. "Did I make you guys gay?"

Buffy laughed and Willow smiled. "I'm not gay; I like the male gender, Xander."

Xander looked to the both of them with wild eyes as he worked this through his brain. He looked back at Willow who shrank down in her seat a little. "How long have you known?" he asked.

Willow thought about it. "A few years, b-but never, I never told anyone," she stopped as she looked to the tabletop.

Xander sat back watching her. "Are you telling me this because you have a girlfriend?" he asked.

Willow's head popped up. "NO, no… no girlfriend. Not yet."

Xander took in a breath and let out a deep sigh. "Well, we can talk about girls and leave Buffy all alone in her non-girl liking."

Buffy rolled her eyes again but Willow looked relieved. "Are you mad?" Willow asked.

Xander shrugged. "A little, but at least there was no girlfriend in the closet."

Buffy looked proudly at him. "Look at you, all adult like and everything."

Xander smiled at that. "So that's with the serious looks my way?" he asked.

Buffy sighed. "Some of it."

"We need to leave," Willow told him. "We can't stay here."

Xander nodded. "Traveling to the land of Giles and Potters, yeah."

Willow watched him. "You- you don't have to if you're happy here, Xander."

Xander snorted. "You listen to me," he started in the Desi Arnaz voice again. "Where you and Buffy goes, I goes." The two girls smiled at this. "Besides, with the tip money I've made here," he said in his normal voice as he looked thoughtful again. "I figure I can pay for the peanuts on the plane trip."

The three laughed and headed for the upstairs apartment to get ready to leave. Xander wrapped his arm about Willow's shoulders. "Cordelia?" he asked. Willow looked up at him as Buffy looked back, both of them surprised. He shrugged. "Now that the signs were struck about my head-," he shrugged with a smile this time. "You looked at her butt- a lot."

Willow turned a bright red as her two friends laughed. She wriggled out of Xander's grasp. "I'm not telling you two anymore secret stuff," she said as she pouted trying to not smile.

Xander grabbed her back up and swung her around making Buffy skip back out of the way of flailing Willow legs. "You know you love me, Willow!" he sang out.

"Willow's going to be sick if you keep it up!" Willow told him. He stopped and Buffy opened the apartment room. "Thanks you guys," Willow said.

They gathered up their few belongings. "Where to first?" Xander asked as they headed downstairs.

"We still need passports," Willow said.

"So we go to Hemery and meet an old friend, maybe Dad can let us stay the night at his place," Buffy replied.

"If the police aren't there," Xander reminded her and the levity of what was going on outside of Caritas came back.

"We'll see, Pike's not a police type of guy," Buffy replied.

"THE Pike?" Xander said and Willow smiled. They had both heard about Pike, the hunky mechanic from her first venture into the world of vampires. It had taken about three months and the coming of Angel to not hear about Pike anymore. That and he hadn't come to visit like he promised so he sorta became persona non grata in Buffy's book.

Buffy nodded as they made it down the steps and to the club floor where Lorne was waiting at one of the bar stools. "Yup, we'll see if he even wants to talk with me, but he had contacts."

Lorne came over to them with a smile. "Sorry I couldn't help you guys out more," he told them as he held up some folded money and looked them then handed them to Willow, the other two look put out but it was understandable, the redhead would make sure it was used the best on their journey.

The two girls hugged him and Xander gave him a manly handshake, Lorne pulled Willow to one side as they were headed for the stairs to the outside. "Listen Pixie Girl," he whispered to her. "You aren't going to see a lot of what you want in this homeland of yours." He looked at her seriously and she nodded. She figured there had to be something bad going on. "When you find her, and pumpkin, you will, hold onto that true love with all that you have, mortal, magic and otherwise. Yeah?" he asked.

Willow nodded with a smile and he hugged her again and she went to where her friends were. "Let me know where you end up, I'd love to come and visit," he said with a farewell as they went up the stairs.

**To Be Continued…**


	26. Chapter 26

**Later That Same Day Outside of Hemery High School, Los Angeles…**

Willow and Xander watched from the edge of the school parking lot as Buffy talked with a group of punk, leather wearing, cigarette smoking teenagers sitting around a grouping of pristinely re-done cars ranging from the 1950's and 60's while school was in session for the last few days before summer. Parked around those cars were BMW's, MG's, Audi's, Ferrari's… it was the rich school for the ultra rich.

The two friends had looked to the high school when they first arrived. Like all Californian high schools it had the sprawling front grass and benches for students. But it had high roman columns in front and an expensive look.

"Wow," Willow said softly. It was not Sunnydale High.

"J'yeah," Xander muttered.

A few more seconds passed. "Wow."

"J'yeah," Xander repeated with his friend.

"I mean, Cordy was Queen Bitch of Sunnydale which… you know, ordinary school," Willow replied. Xander nodded at that as they watched Buffy talk a little more with the leather jacket group. Even the rejects were hot looking. "And Buffy, she was a -," Willow couldn't say it. They both had heard Buffy remind them as they headed for the school that she had been a Cordelia at this high school and all the girls here seemed to be like Cordelia with the snotty looks and high fashion.

"Queen Bitch in the land of Bitches," Xander finished. The two friends looked to each other again.

"I'm glad she's not that anymore," Willow told him, but the worry was in her voice.

Xander grinned a little. "Stop with the worries Will," he said putting an arm around her shoulder glaring at a few young women who were going to make a comment in their hearing range. They were hot looking, one was lanky tall with honey blond hair, and the other was dark skinned, but he knew they were in Cordelia's range of meanness, it exuded off of them. He had a lot of experience having 'dated' her for a year. Hell, she was going to ream him a new one if he went back to Sunnydale for leaving her.

"But what if all the memories come back?" Willow whispered looking to him.

"It's not like an addiction, Will. Buffy's not going to slip off the normal, sane wagon and retake her throne," Xander told her.

Buffy came back to them with a look of annoyance on her face. "He left school early for the end of the year," she told her friends. "He's probably at the shop."

"The shop. That his… gang?" Xander asked nodding back behind him.

Buffy rolled her eyes at him only to stop when the two girls who had been watching them had come up to face them directly. The three girls looked to each other. Buffy's stance was stiff then she loosened up and her eyes narrowed.

"Kimberly, Nicki," she said in a voice that was so Cordelia the two Sunnydalians watched with wide eyes.

"Buffy," the taller, honey blond haired girl replied in the same tone. "Slummage much?" she asked looking to Buffy's clothes which were nice looking but not at all the fashion statement of the year then she looked to her friends.

"Depends on what you mean by that," Buffy replied. "Last year's Jimmy Choo's, Kimmy?"

"Uh, like you should even be here Buffy?" Nicki replied giving her a look of disgust. "I mean, they just got the gym rebuilt last year."

"It took FOREVER with a therapist to get the idea that vampires would like, even exist out of my head," Kimberly continued on.

"You mean you have a brain in there?" Xander got out.

Buffy snorted out a laugh as the two ex-friends glared daggers at him. "I was just looking for Pike," she told them.

The two girls had disgusted looks at that name. "Whatever, looks like he dresses better than you lately. What are those, wrangler jeans?" Nicki snarked at her.

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "This coming from the girl that uses Suave shampoo."

Nicki gasped touching her hair. Kimberly and Nicki looked to each other. "We just aren't crazy like you Buffy," Kimberly replied. "You burned down our prom."

"She saved your lives," Xander replied.

The two gave him a look of disgust but Buffy, and surprisingly, Willow's eyes hardened. "Don't," Buffy warned the two girls. "We're leaving."

"Yeah, leave, God we don't need something like you around here," Nicki got out as the three walked off. They could hear the two girls laugh and Willow glanced back to see the two girls head back to the bench they had been sitting at and there was a burst of laughter from the crowd. Buffy and Xander looked back to see that both of the girls had sat down on the stone bench only to have it crack and knock the two girls back onto the grass.

Buffy smiled and she saw Willow's eyes and realized who had made that happen. "Did you use wizarding magic?"

"Does it matter?" Xander replied getting the gist of what was going on. "That was worth it."

"I think it was just wiccan, but we'll see what happens," Willow told them. "We may have to get ready to run." A horn honked from behind them making all three of them jump a little but Xander yelped and the two girls smiled as they turned to see who was honking.

"Dad?" Buffy got out seeing her father behind the wheel of an expensive car.

Mr. Summers smiled curiously at them as he parked his car at the curb and got out. "Buffy? Your mother is looking all over for you," he said as he came their way and hugged his daughter.

Buffy nodded as she let him. "It's a long story Dad," she whispered into his chest.

Mr. Summers held her back looking at her. "The police have been by already. So have a few others looking for you and your friends… Buffy-," he sighed looking to the teens. "Why don't we go home and we'll talk about this." The three were shuffled into his car and he headed them back out onto the road. "Where have you been the last few days?" he asked. He looked in the rearview mirror at the two friends and then to his daughter in the passenger seat who looked away from him. "Alright," he muttered.

Mr. Summers had driven them to his home and Willow and Xander wandered slowly through Buffy's old house looking at where she had grown up. It was rich, like Cordelia rich. "I'm really glad Buffy's not the old Buffy anymore," Willow whispered. Xander nodded as he saw the pool out in the back and the massive TV screen in the living room.

They made it in to where Buffy was leaning against the kitchen island, her backpack by her feet and her dad was getting a drink. "… it was all that evil little Principal, Dad!" Buffy was saying.

"Why would he blame you for killing a girl?" Mr. Summers asked looking her way as he stirred the drink then handed it to her before getting his own. "Why were you even there?"

Buffy saw her friends as she took a sip of the iced tea and she sighed. "She was coming to meet us, Mr. Summers," Willow said coming into the room to stand by Buffy tucking her arms about herself. "We were at the school library and these adults came in and killed a friend we made during the year."

"Is this common in Sunnydale?" he asked as Xander followed in Willow's wake.

"Gang stuff, you read about it all the time," Xander told him.

He looked to the three of them. "So you're all running away together," Mr. Summers stated. All three teenagers shrugged in unison. "Right," Mr. Summers replied with a nod and a look that he didn't exactly know what to do with them, but they probably wouldn't like it. "You three help yourselves to the fridge. I'm going to call your mother first Buffy," he told his daughter. "Then we're going to see what we can do to clear all of this up."

He left the room and the three looked to each other. "It would be good if he could do that," Xander replied looking to Buffy. "Can he do that?" he asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I- I'm not ready to go back there," she whispered. "Facing my mom… the police… Giles."

They were silent for a moment as they heard Mr. Summers talking in the other room. "So is England out?" Willow asked as she sat down at the kitchen table, there was a fine layer of dust on it showing that Mr. Summers probably rarely ate there. Maybe Jenny would take her… maybe… getting to find her family was crumbling in between her fingers.

"If we stay I go back to my parents," Xander replied. "You… the lawyers know where you live, the magic people are after you and Buffy might end up in juvie and we'll never see each other again," he got out.

Buffy nursed her drink looking out the window as Mr. Summer's voice got louder; it was him arguing with her mom on the phone. That was the normal memory this house brought to her. She looked back to see Xander's shoulders were slumped and Willow had her face buried in her arms on the table. She stood up straight setting the glass down on the island counter. "Let's go," she told them.

Xander looked her way. "What?"

"We need to leave, get Wills to her family and hopefully we'll- we'll figure something out," the Slayer told him. Willow didn't move and Xander looked at her strangely. "It's not of the perfect plans, but it's all I got."

Willow stood up all in one motion. "Let's go," she said in agreement, Xander looked to her now. "I'm not going back, not to Sunnydale until I find them. And you two, I need you two with me."

Xander smiled and stood and they all grabbed their backpacks. "Exit, stage left," he whispered as he went to his right and the two girls shook their heads and followed him. They snuck past where Mr. Summers was arguing with Joyce on the phone and they made it outside and quickly headed off down the street.

They got on the nearest bus they could find headed for downtown, riding along for a good half an hour before the bus turned off down into the first full fledged business areas of L.A. "This isn't so bad," Xander was saying. "We'll just find Pike and get passports, right?" he asked.

Buffy nodded as she rubbed her forehead. "This is all just total suckage, but yeah, we'll find him," she muttered.

The three were silent as businesses started to go past them while the bus traveled along then Willow sat up straighter curiously looking across the road, her eyes following something as they drove by. She reached up and pulled the line to signal she wanted off. Buffy and Xander looked her way but Willow stood saying nothing and when the bus slowed down to the curb she was waiting to get off.

The three stepped down onto the sidewalk and Willow was headed off back down the street. "Will?" Buffy asked as she followed behind her friend.

Willow stopped to look with wide eyes at the middle of a brick wall between a shopping plaza and a restaurant just staring at the wall. "Willow?" Xander sang softly. "People are watching that of your strangeness." Then Buffy blinked and cocked her head as if she was listening and Xander glanced between her and Willow then he tried listening for himself looking around as if he could see it as well. "Is it a good song?" he asked not hearing anything.

Buffy smacked his arm. "There's something… different," Buffy told him quietly as shoppers passed them, looking a little their way but not paying full attention. She reached out her hand and placed in on a brick, "here."

Willow grasped onto something Xander couldn't see only until a door began to appear out of nowhere and suddenly the illusion was broken and the two could 'see' it.

It was a glass door and as the illusion disappeared for the three they saw that above the door hung a sign in glowing lights that said 'Griffin Café'. "Ooooo," Xander replied with a grin as the three went in through the doorway and down into a brightly lit open air looking café. "The world of Willow's and magic."

Inside were people in robes like the ones that had been chasing them only brighter colors and they looked almost like gossamer silks and light linens to the heavier stuff they had seen on the other magic users. Different colors, sizes, wild hats, it was crazy different from the outside world. Buffy had to pull Xander and Willow along from staring at an older woman in an almost see-through 'outfit', there wasn't enough for it to be considered a robe.

"So not like what I saw in New York," Willow said softly. There were crystal balls filled with light floating along the high ceiling and the walls were glass with images of beaches and palm trees, it did seem like they were right off the beach there. There was a bar that filled almost one side of the long café and down at the end was and exit and oddly enough, a fireplace.

"Ahem," a voice cleared her throat and the three looked over to see one of the bartenders look their way. She couldn't have been much older than them. "School isn't out for the year. Shouldn't you three be at the Academy?"

They looked to each other for a moment. "We're off for the day," Buffy replied. "My mom's going to meet us here."

The woman slowly nodded looking at her in disbelief. "Then set yourselves on down and we'll wait for her."

The three sat down at one of the glass tables. "Great, an adult that cares," Buffy said as she noticed Willow and Xander looking at the table top and she glanced down to see that it looked like there was an aquarium under the glass. Xander put his hand under and waved it around. You could see his hand, it looked like it was in there with the fishes, but it wasn't.

"They use magic for everything," Willow whispered happily.

The bartender came with three glasses filled with a golden buttery liquid with umbrellas and a fruit wedge on the lip of the glass setting them down in front of them. "I hope you have a better excuse for your 'mom' as to why you're here because Dean Velazquez wouldn't let any students out early from Crystalsea."

The three looked to each other again and the bartender nodded. "Yeah, I thought so," she sat down by them as Xander took a sip of his drink and his eyes widened as he took a bigger swallow. "Listen, the aurors are going to notice you in here without an adult, doesn't matter that you're teens… and you're dressed like muggles."

Xander finished his drink as Willow shifted slightly. "We were on our way to go, shopping," she told the bartender.

"To Aldenrift?" the bartender asked shaking her head again. "There are more aurors in there than wandering through the Café."

"Is that bad?" Buffy asked. "You know… auroras?"

The bartender sat back and looked to them. "You don't know what aurors are?" she asked. She looked to Xander as he worked on Willow's drink. "And you're sucking down butterbeer like you've never had it before."

The two girls looked to Xander who sheepishly put the half finished drink back in front of Willow. "We're new to the wizarding world," Willow replied. "We grew up as muggles."

The bartender rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and you're all Harry Potter, haven't heard that one."

The three looked to her absolutely shocked. "You know Harry?" Willow asked.

The bartender shook her head looking absolutely confused. "Who doesn't know about Harry Potter and You-Know-Who?"

"You-Know-Who?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, You-Know-Who, no one over here really knows the bastard's name," the Bartender replied with a scowl. "He killed Harry's parents; grew up as a muggle, stuff like that, the Salem Press has had stories about him for almost a year straight now."

Willow was absolutely white. "Dead?" she whispered.

Xander grabbed Willow's arm holding her steady. "Will."

"My parents are dead?" she asked before stood up with tears in her eyes. Two of the wizards sitting in the café noticed her and after a double take stood up coming their way.

"Crap," Buffy got out as she stood up. "A way out please?" she asked.

The Bartender sighed but nodded to the back of the room since the two wizards were blocking the way to the door out to the street. At the nod Buffy was dragging Willow and Xander through the aisle of tables towards the back. "Impedimenta!" one of the wizards said pointing his wand.

Buffy shoved Willow down to the floor but the spell hit Xander tumbling him to the floor only to catch himself. "Ow," he got out as he rolled over and was quickly up, something he learned well over the past year being Buffy's friend. Buffy had Willow moving again and he hurried after them.

There was the fireplace, odd in L.A., and across from it an arched doorway of etched glass guarded by what looked like two large tiki statues both around eight feet tall and wide around as a big tree trunk. As they came up to them, the statues slid together to block the way.

"We need you to come with us," one of the wizards called to them, Buffy looked back to see that the other wizard was on a cell phone to someone.

"And if we don't want to?" Buffy asked as Willow stared at the tiki statues and she touched one of the noses and they opened up. Xander pulled Willow through and Buffy went with them and they ran only to see crowds of shoppers all in robes like what they saw in the café along with a few others that dressed like the ones in New York. It was pretty much full of adults and children to young for school here. Buffy pulled her friends down an alleyway and they ran before the wizards caught up with them.

Xander and Willow were breathing hard as they went through a maze of alleyways until they made it to a rundown shop and ran inside shutting the door, Xander hid down low watching out the window as Buffy sat Willow down on the floor who immediately curled up with her arms around her knees tears silently streamed down her face.

"Well, well," an old male voice said and Buffy looked around to see that they were in a, she guessed 'shack' would be a good word for it. The shelves were old wood, unkempt and the pieces on it were probably as old as when California became a state, maybe older. An ancient man in a tattered old robe with long stringy white hair sat in one corner looking at them with interest.

"Anything Incan--- we don't want," Xander replied as he slumped down onto the floor catching his breath when he was assured no wizards were coming their way.

**oooooooooo**

**A few minutes later, Griffin Café…**

Lupin and Giles entered into the Griffin Café when word came to the aurors that Willow had been spotted. They had been too late making it to Hemery High where a few aurors were being detered by some rude teenagers. Giles grimaced at the swarm of 'Cordelias' at her worst. Lupin had apparated them both away when Tonks let them know that word was out that the teens were seen at the Griffin Café, the entryway to the Aldenrift Center, a counterpart to Diagon Alley, in California.

Tonks apparated in a moment later with Jenny who was getting use to this form of magical transport, more than that Tonks had talked more about the wizarding world and what it was made up of. Personally Jenny didn't like the sounds of it, the Ministries watching over everything like Orwell's big brother. She knew how they had found Willow, apparently those under the age of eighteen had a spell on them and if they did magics the ministry was alerted to this.

Willow wasn't noticed, not until the major spell bringing Angel's soul back to him. The one that shook the world… But now that Willow was away from Sunnydale, they seemed to spot her no matter what she did. So the Hellmouth had to of stopped this age check spell from kicking in, or being able to get free from the city to tell anyone. She and Rupert had mused over that last evening.

Just before they left for the Café, Joyce had come to see them, Buffy's father had found them an hour or so ago and they left while he was talking with Joyce on the phone. Finally they were going to get the kids back.

The two women came up to where Rupert and Remus were talking with two wizards, aurors most likely.

"… it's not a question of if," one wizards was saying. "It's when, they can't avoid us forever, Aldenrift only has so many ways out."

"You do understand that the three children are in our care," Rupert replied.

"Your witch has some questions to answer, mostly about doing magic outside of school grounds," the auror told him.

"That's debatable," Jenny intervened. "Willow is my ward and she knew nothing of your magic rules."

The two wizards looked at each other as Tonks spoke up. "That would be a point for her hearing at your Wizenmagot," she told them.

"Brits," the second man replied. "We don't have court for children; they have to go to counselor."

Lupin and Tonks looked at each other and you could see they wished it was that simple in England.

"And they have to submit their wand until they're through counseling," the other wizard added.

"So why are they not found?" Rupert asked as they went to the back of the Café to see a fireplace and a doorway with tiki statues.

"They ran and our men were caught up by shoppers," the first auror replied.

"They got away," Lupin said with a grin. "We will help then."

"Not civilians," both aurors replied.

"I'm an auror," Tonks told them.

"And I can sense them more than you ever could," Lupin told them. That got them a curious look as the four went through the doorway, Giles and Jenny seeing the wizarding world for the first time.

"Listen this isn't procedure," the first auror was telling them.

Jenny turned towards him. "I'm the closest thing Willow has to a mother, this is her godfather, she's an auror and Rupert is probably smarter than most wizards put together."

Rupert cleaned his glasses at that but the second wizard sighed. "Just let them, Briggs isn't going to care so long as this Willow can shed some light on the past few days."

And that was that. Lupin waited until the aurors had gone off and he motioned down an alleyway. "This way."

"How?" Jenny asked as they followed.

"Just sensitive," Tonks replied as she followed Lupin. Rupert nodded and they went after them.

**oooooooooo**

**Back at the… um, Shack…**

The old man smiled in disbelief as he watched the three teens. "You're not wizards," he got out.

"She is," Buffy said nodding to where Xander was holding Willow. The man had transfigured a loveseat for them in the middle of his 'shop' only a moment before so they didn't have to sit on the floor. Buffy was still debating on whether it really was an actual shop or not.

The proprietor looked the redhead, who was silently crying in Xander's neck, over again. "She's dressed as a muggle."

"We all grew up as them!" Buffy told her. "She didn't know about the wizard world, not really."

The man drew out an old wand that looked well kept, better than he looked like he kept himself anyway and Buffy stepped in front of it between her and her friends. He looked surprised that she moved so fast and dared to stand in front of what could be lethal magic. "I won't hurt them," he said.

"Then don't go waving the magic stick about," she replied. "We just need a way out of here, away from the auras."

"You have problems with them?" he asked curiously. "There are a few ways out of here that they don't know about."

"Will you help us then?" Xander asked.

"You aren't bloodfangs are you?" he asked.

"Sounds like a vampire, but I don't know what they are, so no," Buffy said. "We're trying to get to England."

The wizard nodded slightly. "You could floo to Kalispell Square, get you closer to England."

"And this square is where?" Buffy asked and Xander snorted at her unintended rhyme only to be glared at by the blond.

"New York," The wizard replied. "Why are you running from aurors?" he asked sitting back in his chair and scratching at his slightly rounded belly.

"Vampires, evil lawyers, spells," Buffy said vaguely.

The wizard nodded and pulled out a newspaper looking at it. "Something up in Sunnydale I'm assuming?" he asked with a shake of his head, "only muggles are dit-witted enough to live there." Buffy's eyes flattened and he shook his head handing the paper over. "No offense, but I've been a wizard longer than you've been alive. And muggles can be stupid."

Buffy saw the name of the paper was Starlight Ink and the pictures on the front page moved. "Freaky," she muttered as she saw there was a shot of wizards fighting one another with wands and fists outside of the Town Hall in Sunnydale. There was vague information on what happened a few days ago, the spell that rocked the world. "Says the auras don't know who did Will's spell," she told her friends.

The wizards looked to them. "You did that?" he asked looking to Willow. She had calmed down enough that she nodded slightly. He shook his head and tucked his wand away. "What was it for?" The three teens were silent. "Well, you're not out of school so most likely the aurors would want you for underage spell casting."

Buffy rolled her eyes with a sigh. "That's it? Just because she doesn't have her spellage license to cast they're freaking out?"

"They are sticklers for rules," the wizard told them.

"So how do we flu from here?" Xander asked.

The man motioned them to the window and he slowly got himself standing and went over with them to look out. It was just an alley. "Down to the right then left and through to the main center of the square there's a building called 'the Station'. It's where the floos are located as well as a dock for ships and the coastal railway. Unless you can get to the one in the Café those are it. If you want to get out of Aldenrift and into the city, I can show you, if you tell me what spell you cast."

Buffy slumped against the wall. "That's the only way there? Through the center?"

He nodded. "They laid the Center out just for that, unless you have an invisibility cloak," he told them. The three looked his way and he laughed. "Not me, I get by, but one of those cloaks are well over a hundred thousand galleons and rare to come by." He grinned. "I do have a few old robes I could sell you."

"We don't have any of this gallon stuff," Buffy said pulling out some regular money. "Will this do?"

The wizard looked at it then at the tired teens and he nodded. "And the spell."

The two looked to Willow who was quiet. "I resouled a vampire," she got out.

The wizard blinked a few times. "Why would you do that?" he asked.

"It's a long story," Xander replied.

The wizard nodded looking to Willow. "Who are you young lady?" he asked

Willow felt tears come. "An orphan apparently," she whispered.

Buffy put her arm about her friend's shoulders as Xander glared at the wizard. The man nodded that he understood that was it for questioning and went to a back room and came back a moment later with three robes ranging from blue to green in color. Xander held one up, it was bigger than him and tatty looking. They looked back to the wizard who sighed and with his wand he cleaned it up and made it fit Xander.

"That was sweet," Xander replied as he watched the magic expertly done. He put the robe on and twirled around. "Whatcha think Will?" he asked.

She nodded as the wizard fixed up a robe for her and she slid it on. The three were soon ready to go. The man handed them some wizard money, not much, just a few coins. "This is a sickle and a knut, both lower in value than a galleon. I know what it'd like to be on the run," he told them. "Don't look scared and wander a bit before you go to the Station."

"Thanks," Buffy told him as Xander opened the door leading Willow out as he looked both ways.

"Anything for the Slayer," he told her. She stilled as she was about to step out and looked back at him. He smiled. "Met two of your sisters back when I was younger, I would recognize one anywhere," he replied. "Good luck."

She nodded and hurried off after her friends. He looked out of the shack and saw her at the end of the alley as four adults. Two in robes and two dressed as muggles come down the other way.

He shook his head and was about to shut the door when the lead man, a wizard was there and held the door open. The man took in a whiff and he stilled, he was a werewolf.

"They were here," the man replied. He had a British accent.

"You leave them be," the older wizard replied.

"The redhead is my goddaughter," the British wizard replied.

They stared each other down until the older wizard finally nodded to his right seeing that the wizard spoke the truth. "They're headed for the Station."

The other three ran down the alley and the British wizard nodded. "Thank you," he said and was racing down the alleyway at an incredible speed.

The wizard finally shut the door and looked to his ratty shop and smiled. "The people you meet," he muttered but it shifted into a smile and as he headed for the back room his form shifted and changed into a beautiful woman who seemed timeless with long red locks and a small circlet about her brow. When the door shut the shop drifted away like a ghost. If the others had come back they would have seen a stucco wall that blended in with the rest of the alleyway. Even closer and they would have noticed that embedded there was a small gold shamrock.

**To Be Continued…**


	27. Chapter 27

**Aldenrift Center…**

It was busy, Xander had to give it that. He stopped a few times to stare at a big TV in the window of a shop facing out into the crowd that had plenty of people stopping to watch. For Xander it was what was on the screen as well as the size of it. There were men and women in totally cool uniforms riding around really fast on brooms, of all things, chucking balls at each other and some strange circle goalpost.

Then there were the variety of people in the Center. Some in crazy mad outfits, most of them robes, but there were a few trying to dress like normal people and failing, badly.

"You know, if this wasn't where I know we are," Buffy whispered to them. "I'd think they were vamps."

Willow nodded as she watched the area. Magic was done everywhere, and there weren't any teenagers around. That was weird too. They had made it halfway across the center by then, Xander had his arm about Willow's shoulders and Buffy had his other hand pulling them along.

"I want the TV, and I want to see that game in person," he told them.

"That's not a TV," Willow replied as they passed a fountain made out of marble with two wizards engraved in it.

Xander looked back surprised then he spun back and hunkered over moving the two girls behind a tree and looked back again. The two girls looked with him to see Giles, Jenny and two others come from the alleyway that they had just come from. One of them was the man from New York.

"Auras ahead," Buffy whispered as she dragged Xander and Willow into a store. She pointed them out. They were in front of a huge building; on the top in glowing letters it read 'The Station'.

"How do you know?" Xander asked looking at them.

"They noticed Giles and the others when they came out of the alleyway, no one else was noticing and they're searching, not buying," Buffy replied.

"You think the creepy old guy gave us up?" Xander asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Probably, doesn't matter." She looked around to see there was a newspaper section in the store and bought three with some of the wizarding money the old man had given them. "Walk and hide," she said handing them out.

They came out with their papers up and the proprietor shook his head wondering how the three got out of the Academy and why in the world they came to Aldenrift if they didn't want to get caught by the Aurors.

They positioned themselves, slowly walking and 'reading', all three of them stilled, papers up, as the four adults looking for them passed by. Willow looked to Jenny then to her friends. "Did she look mad?" she asked worriedly. "I think she looked mad."

"Hasn't caught us yet," Xander replied.

"We could ask them for help," Willow told them.

"Remember the plan?" Xander said, "England, your fami-, your brother and us not going back to Sunnydale, which is where Buffy and I will be going if they 'help'?"

Willow nodded and the three 'read' and walked some more. They stopped outside the Station and found a place hidden by bushes and trees where they could peer in through an open window and they heard talking inside.

"No, we haven't see them, they aren't here," an unfamiliar voice was saying. "We'll spot them if they do." He was a man that didn't sound happy, he also sounded like a cop.

The three peered inside to see the Station was massive. There was a train station and a string of docks out on the beach and long set of firepits with people appearing out of them like they were thrown out or they were walking into them and disappearing in a flash of green fire.

"Wow," Buffy whispered. "You think that's the flu the old guy was talking about?" she asked.

"Looks like it," Xander replied as they kept a watch on the foursome who were avidly looking for them.

"Is that the guy from New York?" Buffy asked Willow about the unfamiliar man talking with Giles.

Willow nodded. "Yup." It was interesting that Giles seemed to trust him enough to search with them. At the moment he didn't look scary, he looked worried.

"You think we need to be wizards to use this flu?" Xander asked.

"The old man wasn't worried, so I don't think so," Willow replied.

"We're going to have to get there somehow," Buffy told them as they lowered themselves back down to lean against the outside of the building. She looked to them. "Okay, I can run the fastest so I'll lure them away and you two get to a fire. I'll come up and go in last."

Willow shook her head. "We don't know how they work."

Three heads went up to the window again to watch. "Looks like some magic fairy dust and they say something when they throw it in," Xander replied.

"Kalispell Square," Willow said. "The old man said it and so did the bartender in New York." She and Xander looked to Buffy who gave them a dirty look.

"I'll remember it," she sulked.

"You might end up somewhere bad if you don't, Buffy," Willow replied.

Buffy blew a raspberry and motioned to them and they snuck out of the foliage and down to where Buffy was going to start her diversion.

"Just remember they can cast spells," Willow reminded them.

"And there's lots of them, not just Will," Xander added on.

Buffy waved them off good humoredly. "Just be ready," she told them and with that, she was off. Willow and Xander watched as quite a few adults called out for her to stop and wands were pulled. Soon enough the aurors were casting spells at the Slayer.

"Buffy, come here now!" Giles called out and the blond almost slowed at the familiar voice but ran on. In and out of buildings until almost everyone was out of the Station watching the aurors try and catch her once they found she was dodging all the spells.

Xander nodded and the two ran as quietly as they could inside. Robes flapping behind them they made it three fourths of the way to the firepits as they heard voices behind them calling out for them to stop.

"Faster!" Buffy called out.

The two looked behind them to see the man from New York was ahead of Buffy running for them. Xander grabbed Willow's hand pushing them both sprint. He knocked down a Station worker as he barreled through. "Sorry!" Willow said to him as Xander took up a handful of green sand from a pot and flung it into the fire stilling for a second when it turned green. "Kalispell Square!" he called out as he pushed Willow into it.

The redhead let out a cry of shock before the fire consumed her taking her hopefully there. Xander looked back to see the man was about twenty feet from him with murder in his eyes. He took up two handfuls of magic sand and flung one at the man. While it didn't quite reach him it slowed him down and Xander threw the other handful into the fire. "Kalispell Square!" he called out again and jumped in seeing before he was gone that Buffy tackled the man.

Xander tumbled through darkness as he came out tucked into a roll, half blind from soot in his eyes, to land on something semi-hard. "Kids," someone said and he was pulled up and his face cleaned off so he could see. Willow was standing next to him also being cleaned off as the fire flashed again, the adults had the foresight to move the two out of the way and Buffy rolled out shaking the soot off and wiping off her eyes.

"Hurry!" she told them. She looked up to see there were half a dozen adults there and the fire flashed again. This time with the man from New York there, he came out and Buffy decked him back into the fireplace ready for a fight.

"Enough!" he ordered moving away from the fire and Giles came out landing on the floor and coughing out soot.

"Giles!" Buffy said as the man stood up and Jenny came out landing into him sending them to the floor. The man got the two up and out of the way as the unknown woman who had been with them came through much more gracefully than the last two only to stumble into a table and the man caught her as if it was a normal thing to do.

"Right then," Giles said cleaning off his glasses as he looked the three teens over. "Enough of this running," he told them pointing his glasses at them but saw the others around them that he didn't know. "We need to talk."

"Talk?" Jenny said looking to her ward. "I understand why you did what you did, but Willow, you are grounded for the rest of your natural life!" With that Jenny hugged her tight and Willow wrapped her arms about her, you could see the redhead's palatable relief that Jenny was there. Then the dark headed woman caught Xander's ear making the boy wince with a little cry. "You are too. Going to Wolfram and Hart? Running from us? What were you thinking?" she demanded.

The adults that didn't know what was going on shook their heads realizing that it was taken care of and resumed their day as the man from New York motioned them to a corner of the pub where they would have more privacy. Giles hugged Buffy to him as then went to a table and the three teens looked him over seeing the bruises and bandages on him knowing they were from Angelus.

Then they looked to the two they didn't know, Willow watched the man from New York as he smiled so happily Willow actually blushed as he looked her over from where she sat between Jenny and Xander. "I've been searching for you for so long Willow," he got out slowly, so he didn't scare her, cupped her cheek with his hand and tears came to his eyes.

"Who are you?" Willow asked shyly.

"I'm your godfather, Remus Lupin, this is my very dear friend –," he started and she raised an eyebrow and he sighed. "This is my girlfriend, Tonks," he told Willow and the teens looked Tonks' way curiously. She was probably ten years older than them, and she looked like someone with style, not a tweed like the two men at the table.

"Tonks?" Xander asked.

"Nymphadora Tonks," Tonks said. "But I go by Tonks."

Lupin smiled at Willow as Tonks left the table for the bar. "I've been searching for you for so long."

"I've lived in Sunnydale my whole life," Willow replied not completely understanding.

Lupin shook his head. "You were born in England to my dear friends James and Lily Potter. Because of a very evil wizard and his followers we decided it was best if I took you to Washington to live with a wizarding family there."

"How did she end up in Sunnydale then?" Buffy asked.

Lupin shook his head, he honestly didn't know. "Bloodfangs attacked part of the city and your adopted parents were killed, you were never found," Lupin told Willow. "We assumed the Bloodfangs took you, but any that were ever caught wouldn't say anything about a missing child."

"And my parents, Harry?" Willow asked holding the pendant at her chest as Tonks came with a tray of several glasses filled with butterbeer along with a few firewhiskeys for the adults.

Lupin swallowed his firewhiskey in one shot looking to the young redhead. "Your parents were killed when you and Harry were both very young, a year old. No one knew that Lily had given birth to twins, only Harry. With prophecies about you both we knew something bad was going to happen with the war going on so I took you to grow up safe and unknown." He stilled with a heavy sigh. "Or I believed safe. The Gale's were good people and would have raised you well."

"Who killed them?" Willow whispered.

"The Bloodfangs killed the Gale's in a fire when they razed part of the city. It was an evil wizard, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," he told her. "Voldemort, who killed your parents."

The teens looked to each other. "Is that "You-Know-Who' as well?" Buffy asked.

When Lupin and Tonks nodded Willow stilled for a long moment. "Tom Riddle," she stated.

Everyone looked her way. "How do you know that name?" Tonks asked.

Willow closed her eyes and swallowed. "Re-remember last year when I passed out? The 'dream' with Harry?" she asked. Jenny and Giles nodded but the others looked curious, she'd never really talked about it with her friends, she had nightmares every so often about it. "I was with Harry, he was in a cemetery and to-tortured by this Voldemort, a-and people in white hoods, it was on Tom Riddle's grave and V-voldemort said it was his father."

"Death Eaters," Tonks said with a shake of her head cupping her own drink, the chase for the threesome had been long and now that it was over the signs of exhaustion were on both adult and teen.

"You were there," Lupin whispered in disbelief never wanting his goddaughter to have to live through some of the things Harry had to endure. "This was during the Triwizard Tournament. Harry and Cedric had been pulled through with a portkey by one of Voldemort's followers."

"Cedric, he- he was the one who died, 'kill the spare'," Willow got out. She had wanted it to be a dream in some ways but now she realized it had all really, REALLY happened, to her brother.

Lupin leaned across the table and caught her hand. "It wasn't your fault, just like it wasn't Harry's. The guilt that he couldn't save Cedric still eats at him." He grinned. "Harry's going to be over the moon to see you."

Willow smiled. "Does- did you tell him about me?"

Lupin shook his head. "Harry's godfather did. He went back to England because there were problems at Hogwarts." Willow looked to her pendant and Lupin nodded. "Your parents made it so you could know them when the time was right."

"Hogwarts? What is it?" Willow asked.

"A Wizarding school," Lupin replied. "Harry goes to it."

"If their parents are dead where did Harry grow up?" Xander asked.

Lupin and Tonks looked to each other and Lupin sighed. "Hogwarts is a boarding school, during the summer holiday he lives with his Aunt, Uncle and cousin, the Dursleys," he said with distaste in his voice.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Willow said looking at them. "Why does it sound like its bad?"

"Because they're self-centered, snot nosed gits," Tonks said just before sneezing causing her hair turned instantly from black to pink. All but Lupin's eyes widened.

"That was totally cool!" Xander replied and Tonks smiled.

"Harry is there because they are his only blood line," Lupin told Willow, he hadn't released her hand yet. "Save you of course, my dear. They haven't been kind to him, but Albus- Dumbledore, one of our strongest wizards says it's for the best to protect him when he isn't at Hogwarts from Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

"For now," someone said from behind them. Buffy and Xander were on their feet but Lupin and Tonks smiled and Giles and Jenny didn't look worried so the two sat back down but watched him warily.

"Padfoot, come and meet Willow," Lupin replied. An exhausted looking dark headed man came to the table, but the smile to see her was there. "Willow, this is Padfoot," he told her while took out his wand and put up a silencing charm around them. "Better known as Sirius Black."

Sirius grinned and took up her hand and kissed her cheek shocking her. "You look so much like your mother," he said sitting by Lupin. "Even to this day we miss her."

Lupin smiled. "Your father, James, Sirius and I were best friends at Hogwarts, did everything together."

"Got into trouble more often than not," Sirius continued.

Lupin looked to Sirius. "Harry?"

"He's fine, it's that Umbridge woman, and the Professor's not helping. Lad's at his wits end," Sirius said but they could tell there was more to it than that.

"What's with the wall?" Buffy asked looking at the spell's glow about them that Lupin had cast.

Sirius made a face. "I was imprisoned for killing James and Lily Potter for over twelve years," he told them. "The one we considered a friend who set me up did the deed himself. I can't prove it wasn't me so I am 'at large' for the time being."

"So what happens now?" Xander asked. "We were headed to England to find Harry."

Giles looked to them. "First off Buffy, you need to call your mother."

Buffy sighed looking to her empty glass but took Jenny's cell phone when offered it and Lupin removed the charm so she could go outside with Giles to get reception. Lupin watched Willow. "Voldemort knows about you now from the spell you cast, and he knows who you are which put you in a precarious situation like Harry. It would be best if you were hidden."

Willow shook her head. "With Harry," Sirius told her. "School's almost out and we'll-, we'll get you together and figure something out."

Jenny tapped the table with a firm index finger. "I'm Willow guardian; she's not going anywhere unless I say so." The two men bristled at this but Jenny's eyes narrowed and Willow held her hand and the men saw she trusted her guardian.

Tonks looked to Willow. "What do you want?" she asked her.

Willow looked to the others. "I want to go to Harry. I want Xander and Buffy to come with. I want to kick Voldemort's hinny for what he did to my family."

Lupin and Sirius laughed at her spritely but determined attitude. "You are Lily's daughter!" Sirius said wiping a tear away. "Only she would have said arse and been a site angrier about it."

Xander snorted as he slouched in his seat. He was tired. "Wait until you see her resolve face."

Willow punched his thigh lightly and he smirked but Willow looked to Jenny who finally relented. "I figured we would do something like that over the summer," she said with a sigh. "We're half way there so we'll go and see what's going on," Jenny told her. She had known Willow wanted to find the Potters. They looked to see Buffy come storming in with Giles following behind and everybody noticed the aura of someone with a lot of power in their midst's. "I don't know if Buffy can come though."

Buffy walked around behind the wizards to pace in the narrow space between tables and chairs and the energy was showing, but she had heard Jenny's remark. "I'm coming… she kicks me out and then she's mad that I ran away?" she said about her mom as tears came and Giles put his arm about her. "I'm not going back; we have to see if Harry's a hottie." Lupin and Sirius started laughing again. "Is he a hottie?" Buffy asked and Willow scowled. "What? I'm not going all this way and not ask."

"I wouldn't know, but plenty of girls seem to like him," Sirius told her and the other two wizards agreed and Lupin went to get them another drink.

Giles rubbed at his forehead. "It's been a long day," he said putting his glasses on, "a long week, more like it. Let's get some rest and decide tomorrow where we'll go from here."

Lupin came up and handed him another firewhiskey which Giles took gratefully. Sirius took his from his best friend and he looked to the teens. Willow and Xander both yawned but looked determined to stay awake while Buffy was still pacing with a butterbeer in one hand. "Ever been slaying in New York?" he asked the blond.

The teens looked his way then to Giles who took a long sip of his drink. "Your mother confronted me when they showed up looking for Willow," he told them. "They know who you are."

Sirius smiled. "If being a Slayer is generational I can see why you're successful as one."

Buffy looked confused and Giles rubbed his cheek and her eyes went wide. "She didn't," she got out.

The three wizards nodded, Sirius was grinning, very impressed with one Joyce Summers. "It was a good thing she didn't punch him," Sirius told her.

Giles sighed ignoring the wizards' laughter over getting slapped. "Going to England won't heal your relationship with your mother," he told her.

Buffy shook her head looking more annoyed as her eyes locked on Sirius. "You said something about slaying in the Big Apple?" she asked.

Sirius finished his drink. "Moony and I would be honored to assist you in some nighttime vampire hunting." Lupin scowled looking at Willow but Sirius nudged him. "You can chat with her after she's slept."

Giles sighed seeing Buffy really needed to go hit something. He looked to the two wizards. "I have your word you'll watch out for her?" he asked.

The two men looked to each other with a smile. "We solemnly promise," they replied and everyone there knew there was something more to that quote but Buffy nodded her acceptance.

"Great, godparents of Will, let's jet," she said heading for the door. "Maybe we can go shopping afterwards." She looked to them. "You do have money right?"

The two wizards laughed as they each kissed Willow's head, surprising her, before they left. Tonks stayed behind, she was tired and didn't care to go vampire hunting, she was still trying to wrap it around her auror trained mind that there were more than just a handful of the creatures out in the world. She smiled at the young redhead. "He'd stay stuck to you if Sirius wasn't here," she told her. "Finding you after fourteen years, he needs to get some air as much as Buffy does."

"He runs really fast," Xander said after swallowing the last of his second butterbeer.

Tonks nodded looking a little somber. "'is story to tell."

Tonks procured rooms for them at the inn at Kalispell Square for the night; Willow with Jenny and her with Buffy while Xander would be with Giles and Lupin and Sirius together.

It was nine in the morning when everybody was rounded up at a café in Kalispell Square for breakfast. Willow sat down by Buffy who looked more at ease, her eyes curiously glancing to the two wizards every so often.

"Did everything go okay last night?" Willow whispered to her friend.

Buffy blinked looking her way. "I gotta say Will, your godparents… they're crazy." The two looked to Sirius and Lupin who looked like average normal tweeds in wizard robes. Willow looked confused but Buffy nodded. "Take Xander's weirdness, stick a wily vamp mind in him, then age him to Giles."

Willow's eyes went wide looking to the two men and Sirius winked at her. "Wow," she whispered.

Buffy nodded. "I know. I love it." The two girls giggled and the adults looked their way only making them giggle harder.

"So, how are we getting to England without passports?" Xander asked around a huge bite of pancakes.

"Portkey," Lupin replied as he sipped his tea. Sirius made a face as Tonks sighed.

"Is it as crazy as your flu?" Buffy asked. "Why is it named after being sick, much with the grossness."

"F-L-O-O," Lupin spelled out for her.

"Oh," Buffy said. "So what's it like?" she asked.

Tonks sighed again. "You don't want to know."

Willow set her toast down just before her first bite. "Maybe I'll eat afterwards."

"It's not that bad," Lupin said but Sirius didn't look so certain. Buffy set her toast down too and Lupin sighed this time.

**oooooooooo**

**Godric's Hollow, England…**

Willow felt a little sick as the group had almost instantly 'jumped' across the Atlantic Ocean using a wizarding thing called a portkey. Before the jump her godfather had magically changed her hair color to a bushy brown then made her look like a different girl to which Tonks and Sirius smiled and starting calling her Hermione, who was one of Harry's best friends. The three wizards said that Hermione was the smartest teenager they knew and Willow was excited to meet her.

"Oh my god," Xander got out just before he threw up his breakfast from the nausea the portkey had caused. Buffy nodded in agreement looking a little pale, but she had fared better than Giles and Jenny who were both a little green about the gills.

They had also learned that while Tonks was a metamorphmagus, which was something you were born with apparently, and she could change into almost anything. However, Sirius was an animagus, which any wizard could do once they trained for it, and at the moment he was in the form of a big black dog standing by Willow and Lupin keeping him out of the eyes of the British Wizard Ministry still looking for him.

"Where are we?" Buffy asked as they looked around at a very small village, with large ancient trees and houses that had to be centuries old.

"This is Godric's Hollow, named after one of Hogwarts founders, Godric Gryffindor," Lupin replied. "Greatest house there is."

Tonks rolled her eyes at that. "What were you in?" Willow asked.

"Hufflepuff," Tonks replied.

They looked to Padfoot and Lupin spoke for him. "Gryffindor, as were your parents and Harry is in now."

"So why are we here?" Jenny asked.

Lupin laid a hand on Willow's shoulder. "I thought Willow would like to see where she was born."

Willow held Buffy's hand as they wandered down one lane and into another. It wasn't long before they were outside the gates to the cemetery and her heart dropped. Lupin opened the gate looking sadly through it. They went through and Padfoot sat by two headstones. Lupin put his arm about Willow's shoulder. "You had extraordinary parents," he told her softly. "They were brave, loyal and kind. I will always consider them my dearest friends. They didn't want to give you up, but we knew, we all knew that if the world learned that Harry had a twin, your life would be in constant danger. It broke their hearts for me to take you away. Know that they loved you, Willow," he finished.

Willow knelt down and brushed away at the dirt, moss and time that had partially covered their names, James Potter and Lily Evans Potter. She didn't even realize she was crying until Buffy knelt down by her hugging her close and Xander followed. Willow sniffed back her runny nose wiping it on her sleeve as she sat back with a last sniff.

"They fought the good fight," she whispered. "Even though they knew they could die." Crazy that it was like her with Buffy, even though it scared her to face the nightmares of the world, she did it because it was the right thing to do, and she wouldn't leave Buffy to do it alone. A part of her realized she had taken on her parents' traits so long after they were gone.

"Voldemort was a bane on our society, muggleborn wizards, even halfbloods were targets by pure bloods who believed in his tripe, the Death Eaters. Muggles were for torment and torture before they killed them," Lupin whispered from behind her. "Potter is a long lineage of pureblood wizards, but your mother was a muggleborn. All of us fought, we even left family behind to stand up against him. It was Harry who stopped him for a while. Harry is known as 'The Boy Who Lived' in the wizarding world. It's believed that he will be the one to stop Voldemort again, now that he's back."

Willow stood up and looked to him wiping away the tears and she could see some on his cheeks, to him it was like losing Buffy and Xander. "Then we'll help him," she whispered. "He won't do it alone."

Lupin smiled as a tear trailed down his cheek. "Never any doubt, you are a Potter," he said. Willow hugged him and he held her close before they left the cemetery. Willow had gone over to Jenny and wrapped her arms about her guardian as they walked along.

They came to a half destroyed, burnt down cottage, Lupin and Padfoot stood in front of it solemnly. Willow looked it over then to the grounds and out to the scant dotting of cottages around the area. It was so different than Sunnydale, the idea of growing up here with her real parents, with her brother just seemed so odd to her.

"Is that it?" Xander asked quietly.

Lupin nodded. "They were going to make a life here, Sirius and I were over all the time and Lily was getting ready to give birth," he said. "We were like kids half the time anyway. Then it got worse, you were away safely and they attacked. We got here to see Dumbledore had taken Harry and Sirius was arguing with him about taking him to the Dursleys… Merlin, our friends were dead and I couldn't wrap my mind around it." He blinked out of his reverie looking to the teens. It took all of this to stop him, to capture some of the Death Eaters, but there were others out, hiding."

"Well, well, blood traitor visitors showing up here," a voice said and from the trees surrounding the house came six wizards in white pointed hoods and skull like masks.

"They had to of been waiting," Tonks whispered as she had her wand out when the voice was heard.

Lupin shook his head in anger that Death Eaters had dared to come onto what he considered sacred ground. His wand out as Jenny pushed Willow and Xander behind her. Nothing more could be said as Padfoot ran at the Death Eaters shifting form to Sirius and his wand was out surprising them at who it was and he was ready for them. "Reducto!" he shouted angrily and all of the Death Eaters scattered, one had been caught by the spell and he screamed before his body was blown apart.

Lupin warded off a few spells as he protected Willow and Xander. He grabbed his goddaughter around the waist and carried her into the house away from the fighting. Jenny had followed but Xander was hiding and stalking one wizard quietly Lupin put Willow pretty much into Jenny's arms. "Do no magic! The ministry will come and we cannot have you in their hold!" he warned Willow. He turned to watch Buffy take down one of the Death Eaters in the fray with a vicious double front kick. The Death Eaters weren't ready for physical violence and the wizard instantly crumpled. "We'll handle it!" he said as he ran out of the house.

Jenny had her talisman out and she muttered a phrase in a language Willow didn't understand as she watched out the window as Xander crept around behind one of the Death Eaters and jumped on his back before he could get a curse off at Tonks.

"Off you damn bastard!" the wizard said trying to knock him off as Xander grabbed for his wand.

Lupin was facing off with a huge brute of a man, he didn't even wear a mask, he didn't need one, he looked like a werewolf. Both of them had their wands out circling the other and Lupin growled back to something the huge wizard said making Willow wonder if there was something her godfather needed to tell her.

Sirius was whipping off spells along with Tonks at three wizards as Buffy ducked a few spells headed her way tackling one of the Death Eaters. "Seriously, a pointy white hat was the best your Darth Vader could come up with?" she got out as she struck the wizard and he went down and stayed there.

"What's this?" a voice said from behind Jenny and Willow who looked to see a Death Eater had come through the back door, apparently late to the whole fight since he didn't seem worried that his friends asses were getting kicked outside. It was male from the sound of his voice and shape of his body. "Potter's friend?" he laughed. "The Dark Lord will be pleased to have you in his hands, mudblood," he got out.

"Fierbere lui sînge , arsură lui os , nap a crea piatră," Jenny said before the man could point his wand at them.

A red light from Jenny's talisman slammed into the wizard who began to scream and claw at his mask, his wand clattered to the warped wood flooring as he gasped for breath and his body slowly morphed to stone as Lupin crashed through the window, wand at the ready and his face more 'wolfy' looking as he looked to make sure Willow was okay when someone crashed through after him but he twisted with incredible speed so he wasn't taken from behind and the two rolled through the hallway running into the statue of the Death Eater. Jenny grabbed Willow pulling her through the back door as Buffy came around the side the three of them skidding to a halt.

"Goddad?" she asked.

Jenny motioned inside and Buffy ran through. Jenny came out to see Giles and Sirius arguing about something, the other Death Eaters were… dead.

"There was no reason to kill him!" Giles was saying when the huge wizard came crashing back through the main window with both Lupin and Buffy running after him. The wizard bounded through the brush and down the road and he disappeared into a mist of black smoke and Lupin let out a string of curses at it and formed into a gold mist and gave chase and Tonks followed in the same way a second later.

"What's the matter?" Buffy asked as she looked to a nasty cut on her arm.

Giles looked disgusted at Sirius. "Mister Black here decided to kill all of the wizards."

"It had to be done," Sirius told him. "They're Death Eaters."

"Then we turn them over to the authorities," Giles replied.

Sirius shook his head. "The Ministry is run by Voldemort supporters or those that don't want to admit the truth that he's returned. Other Death Eaters would have them free within the day."

"Is that bad?" Xander asked as he held up six wands and handed them over to Willow. "You got your pick now."

Sirius shook his head and held out his hand for them. "A wand chooses their owner, Willow will have to get her own and learn with it before she starts trying out magic with other wands."

"Spoilsport," Xander muttered.

"Where did Lupin and Tonks go?" Jenny asked as she sat down on the side of the lane, she had a protection spell going when she did a major transformation curse and she was ready to sleep a few hours or days.

"They've gone after the bastard Greyback, nastiest of all the Death Eaters, save my own flesh and blood," Sirius said then made a face. "Not that they'd truly accept a werewolf in their little pureblood clique."

"That's what he reminded me of," Xander said.

Sirius removed the masks on the Death Eaters. "Well, none are of my family, so the completely insane ones are still out there." Sirius motioned as he stood up. "We need to get undercover before anyone shows up."

"What about Remus?" Willow asked as they were herded up into the forests and out of view.

"He'll know where to meet us," Sirius said looking to them.

"Actually I have a place where we could go and no magical people will look there," Giles told him.

"Why not Hogwarts and Harry?" Willow asked.

Sirius shook his head. "Not with Umbridge and the Ministry having control over it. It's almost not safe for Harry, its only if he went missing that Ministries heads would roll." He motioned to Giles. "Where are we going?"

Giles gave him a grim smile. "Home."

**To Be Continued…**

**Translation:**

Boil his blood, burn his bones, turn this creature into stone.


	28. Chapter 28

**Muggle Country, England a few hours later…**

Willow was back to her normal hazel eyed, red headed self as she sat on the grass among the trees looking out over a field behind Giles' actual ancestral house in England. It really was the perfect place to stay since Giles had no ties with the wizarding world. Jenny had gone in to take a nap once Sirius had apparated them all there. She wasn't sure about that spell. She could feel Sirius holding her, but it was like she had been stretched through a funnel and 'pop' they were somewhere else. She was already getting ideas in her head about how to do the spell herself, but maybe more Star Trek transport like, misty and sparkly instead of being a piece of taffy.

She had been sitting out there a few hours by the time Buffy came from the house and sat down by her, a bandage on her arm from the fight. "Lupin and Tonks came back, they didn't get wolfman," she told Willow.

Willow nodded and looked out over the fields again. "It would have been totally to grow up here, in a place like this and not America, with the accent and liking mushy peas."

Buffy smirked. "You do like English tea."

Willow smirked back. "So do you." Buffy looked away guiltily trying to hide a grin. "You think my godfather's a werewolf?" Willow asked straight out.

Buffy scrunched up her nose. "Maybe," she said vaguely only to have Willow look her way. "Yeah," she amended.

Willow nodded. "I think so to," she sighed lying back on the grass as Buffy watched her. "I thought I was going to get to see Harry when we got here," she said softly. Sirius had told her that going to the school was dangerous right now and seeing Harry before summer vacation was almost impossible with the Ministry watching everything Harry did. She knew her godfathers, as she thought of them now, were being overprotective since Sirius had gone to Hogwarts not that long ago to talk to Harry, so it was frustrating.

Buffy nodded as she took up a few blades of grass looking out over the field. "It stinks, but at least you're in the same country, so plus there."

"Sorry," Willow said as she sat up realizing she was whining when all of their lives were sucky at the moment. Buffy turned her head to listen to the area. Willow didn't hear anything different but knew that look, Buffy was predator supreme. "What is it?" she asked.

"Sounds like a truck or a van," Buffy replied. "More than one and they're all stopping just down the road." She stood up holding her hand out to help Willow up. "Go tell Giles and I'll get with the scouting."

Willow nodded and ran for Giles's house. She opened the door to see Tonks was asleep on the couch and the three men and Xander were around the dining room table talking seriously. They looked her way and she blushed making them all smile.

"What is it Willow?" Giles asked.

"Buffy heard a few cars stop down the road," she said. "She said to tell you that and that she was going to check it out." Right then the door opened and Buffy hurried in.

"Watchers, some kind of councily, watchery men are coming through the trees for here," she got out and Giles gave her a questioning look and she sighed. "They were talking about you and me," she told him then her eyes went a little hard. "They have guns."

Giles rubbed his eyes. "I was afraid of this, Wesley would have informed them of what happened in Sunnydale, most likely they were watching the house for any return on my part," he said. He stood and motioned for them to follow.

"Are they a threat to the children?" Lupin asked getting his wand out as both he and Sirius stood between Willow and the doorway, no one was touching their goddaughter.

"The council doesn't know about wizarding magic and I would prefer for it to stay that way. I have a place for them to hide the council doesn't know about," Giles said as he looked them over and motioned for Lupin to wake Tonks. "Whatever happens none of the children are here, don't admit to it. Let them search without protesting."

He went to bookshelf in his study and hit a secret button which opened the shelving inward to a small set of steep stairs that went down to a secret room. The sight made the teens grin. "Double-oh-Giles," Buffy said impressed.

"Yes, later for the admiration please, go in, do nothing to attract attention," he said as motioned them to go down a set of dark stairs and they went. "Most of all, do not talk," he warned them.

"Better gag them then," Sirius replied as Giles shut the door to a bunch of 'heys'. He made sure there were no telltales of the children being there then looked to the men and Tonks in their robes and different clothing. "We need to make you normal folk, quickly."

A few minutes later the door was slammed opened abruptly and six men came in dressed in riot gear with military rifles pointed about the room. They found three men and a woman around a table talking as water boiled in a nearby kettle for tea. All were normal, average looking Brits.

"Rupert Giles," one said as he came forward.

Giles stood. "Yes?" he asked recognizing a few of the men. "I assume there is a reason for this intrusion."

The man motioned. "Mr. Travers wants a word," he said as the other men had spread out and began to search the house. They came back with a tired and angry Jenny being led along by an arm but she said nothing.

"The house is clear," one man told the lead.

The lead man turned back to Giles. "Where's the Slayer?" he asked.

"The last Slayer died at the hand of Drusilla, I don't know where the current one is," Giles informed them.

"Buffy Summers, Mr. Travers wants a word with her as well," he told him.

Giles shook his head. "To my knowledge at home with her mother, as I'm sure Quinton would have told you, I was dismissed from being Miss Summers' Watcher, she is Windham-Pryce's charge now."

The man scowled and motioned to the men. "Turn it all over."

This time they could hear things being dumped out, broken, and so on while one man watched over them, gun at the ready. Jenny sat down by Giles looking worried but Giles held her hand and with a look she understood he had things under control.

They spent half an hour searching and the lead man came back very angry now. "Let's go," he told Giles.

"The others?" one of the other men asked.

"Leave them, Travers doesn't want them," he replied.

Giles stood looking to Lupin and Sirius. "I'll clear things up; come back in a few days won't you? I'm sure your next visit will be quieter," he said as he went around to the foyer and was escorted out.

Once they had all left Tonks took her wand out from her sleeve and waved it about. "Obscura," she said and you could hear little electrical 'pffts' from around the house where they had put in bugging devices. The two wizards looked her way and she smiled. "I do deal with muggles on occasion, electro gizmos left about the place."

Jenny rubbed her forehead. "Very nice, where are the kids?"

Sirius smiled as he stood leading them to the study and he opened the secret room up to see the three were playing paper, rock, and scissors. "Where's Giles?" Buffy asked as the three came out to see that the place had been trashed.

"Going to Watchers headquarters most likely," Jenny told them looking to the Wizards. "We're going to have to find another place to stay. The Council will keep be keeping an eye out for Buffy."

Sirius and Lupin looked to each other and Sirius shook his head. "Only as a last resort mate, Azkaban is only a step lower," Sirius said.

Lupin sighed heavily. "We'll go to my family home," he replied. Sirius' eyebrow went up and Lupin made a face of displeasure and sadness, mostly the latter.

"She'll be happy," Sirius replied and Lupin made a noise of agreement and displeasure.

**Wimbourne, England…**

Willow had to blink a few times as she and Lupin apparated outside of a beautiful little cottage by a beautiful little forest. There were a few more cottages around, but the trees that grew lush and thick made the place pretty secluded and the scene was idyllic. He had his wand at the ready as his eyes scouted the area to make sure there was no one unwanted about.

With a 'pfft' Xander, Sirius, Jenny, Tonks and Buffy apparated next to the two, Sirius with Xander and Tonks with the two women. "Oh man," Xander got out before he staggered to bend over a hedge to dry heave. While Sirius and Tonks were both scouting the area from where they stood like Lupin had done.

"Good thing he listened that time and didn't eat first," Buffy said as she herself looked slightly pale but much better than the time before. "Will?" she asked.

Willow nodded, third time around and Willow knew what to expect. She looked to her godfather. "You know, we need to make that spell less like a taffy pull and more like a transporter."

The three wizards looked curious as Xander raised his hand from behind the bush he was laying over, still not showing his face. "Beam me up, please," he begged.

Lupin smiled to his goddaughter, putting an arm about her shoulders he lead her up to the front door of the cottage. "First you need to understand why you can't do magic right now," he told her.

Willow and Buffy looked confused at this following him inside while Tonks stayed outside with Xander until he felt better as the others followed them inside. "She can do magic," Buffy replied.

"Not with the possibility of the Ministry finding her," Lupin replied as he opened the front door to see the cottage's house elf waiting there looking worried and excited.

Willow got out a small scream before hiding behind Lupin clutching onto his robes while Buffy took a step forward in a defensive position. There in the foyer was one of the oddest demons they had ever seen! Half the size of Buffy with long ears and greenish skin, it was gangly and horrid looking.

Lupin put a hand on Buffy's arm stopping her from doing something tragic but he had a smile on his face from the girls' reactions. "Buffy, Willow, this is Sparkle, she's the Lupin family house elf."

Willow peered out from behind Lupin at the house elf then to Buffy who wasn't too sure about that then they looked to Lupin. "Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

"Master Remus," Sparkle said with a smile as she scooted away from Buffy to where Lupin was. "You come home."

Lupin smiled fondly at Sparkle. "I did, where is Mother?"

"Where I always am, young man," an elderly woman said coming from a connecting room into the small foyer with a cane and old but clean robes. She had flowing white hair, slightly heavyset, and smelling of mint and spice. She was still pretty but where she could have been beautiful was the permanent mark of sadness.

"Where have you been?" she asked looking to the two girls then Jenny and Sirius. "Young mister Black, what trouble have you been into now? So proper and now you're dressing like my lad here, in such tattered clothing. Sparkle, a full meal for the young ones, look at these young girls, thin as a unicorn's hair," she continued on talking as she looked them over. Willow still clung onto Lupin's robe watching everything going on with wide eyes as pots and tea cups floated through the air on their own.

The door opened again divulging Tonks and Xander, the latter still looking a bit pale. "A house full, Sparkle, set the table," the elderly woman said with a smile. She tottered on her cane over to her son and Lupin smiled as a cheek was tapped and he kissed his mother hello. "Now my son, come and introduce me to such lovely visitors."

Lupin held his mother's arm in his leading the group into the homey sitting room. With a wave of her wand, the room was magically filled with more chairs and couches awing the non-magical people and Willow looked giddy. Mrs. Lupin turned to look at them, sharp, old green eyes looking to them and settling on Willow. "Miss Evans hasn't changed I see, a youth potion or is it natural?" she asked with a smile.

"Mother," Lupin replied softly from her side. "This is Lily's daughter, and my goddaughter, Willow." He looked to the group. "This is my mother Rhea Lupin. Mother, Willow's friends are here, Buffy and Xander as well as Willow's guardian, Jennifer Calendar."

Mrs. Lupin looked them all over again then smiled as if she hadn't taken what her son said in, they could tell she wasn't really playing with a full deck anymore. "Of course dear, Miss Evans will sit by me and tell me about Hogwarts," she told her son as she took Willow's arm and led her on through to the dining room. "Come on in and sit, Sparkle will be along with food." Xander paled as she sat but Lupin stayed standing.

"Mother, I need to have a word with Willow first," he told her. Willow got free from Mrs. Lupin and followed him out of the dining room as Sparkle came in with trays of small sandwiches and tea for starters.

Lupin led Willow to a bedroom sitting her down on the bed and began to pace in front of her, very fatherly looking. "You need to understand ministry rules," he finally got out.

"You mean the government," Willow stated curiously, America didn't have a 'ministry'.

Lupin nodded slightly. "Our world, the wizarding world has the Ministry of Magic. All countries are independent from the other but there are some things that they all agree upon." He looked to her directly. "No underage use of magic outside of schooling areas is one."

Willow blinked at this then a frown formed at her brow. "Why?" she asked.

Lupin sighed and sat down in a chair across from her with a smile on his lips. That was common for him lately and Sirius had begun to tease him about it. Finding his goddaughter had lifted ten years off the man. "Wizarding children receive their wand when they turn eleven, before going to school. During school there are enough professors and magical wards to make sure that students can be watched over as they learn."

Willow didn't look any happier. "You mean, the Ministry is a watch dog – a big brother," she started.

Lupin held her hands and she quieted. "Magic is dangerous to the untrained, Willow. And while I loathe to say it, for a part of it, I do agree on the Ministry making sure that children aren't running around doing dangerous things." Willow opened her mouth but he raised an eyebrow at her and she closed it looking a little sullen. "I have also seen where children not being able to use their wands has been detrimental, even more dangerous for them and the British Ministry is quite erroneous about their power over this."

Willow smiled just a little. "It weird to hear you talk all Giles-like with the big vocabulary. Would I have talked like that if I grew up here?"

Lupin smiled back. "I think it has more to do with generation than place. Harry and his friends talk nothing like either I or your Mr. Giles."

Willow sighed looking at her godfather. "I really do want to see Harry."

He smiled sadly. "You have no idea how much I want that to happen, my dear Willow. But the Ministry is run by fools for the moment and Harry is kept under close watch. Voldemort is watching for you as well as you just saw back at your parents' house. The Ministry-, if they found you would hold you for questioning and your use of wandless magic."

"So it's wands they track?" she asked.

Lupin looked to the window above her head. "It's so rare to have a wandless user. There hasn't been one in many generations…" he muttered then looked to her remembering her question, "but no, it's the user themselves. If you cast magic, here and now, while this is a witches house, they would know an underage wizard or witch was using magic," he whispered then stopped looking her way. "Here in the wizarding world it would most likely be ignored, but with them looking for you even now, it wouldn't be safe, especially with your amount of power."

"I'm almost sixteen," she replied with a determined look on her face.

"The spell doesn't lift until you're seventeen," he informed her.

Willow let out a noise of annoyance. "W-well, then there has to be a way to break it, or- or end it!" Willow replied pleadingly.

Lupin thought about it. "No one has ever tried."

"They haven't met the Scoobies then," she resolved.

Lupin looked confused. "The- Scoobies?"

Willow nodded remembering from listening to Tonks and Jenny talk that the wizarding world really knew nothing about the rest of the world which included technology, they were living in the 1800's in some ways, which Willow and her friends thought was odd, and Xander thought explained the robe wearage. "I'm going to have to get Xander to show you regular TV, he's good at that," she said then looked at him again. "So how long until I can meet Harry?" she asked.

Lupin sighed. He couldn't blame her wanting to be with her brother, but she was getting persistent with asking. "When school is out, I know Dumbledore is going to insist on his staying at his aunt and uncle's-," he started then looked her way, "your aunt and uncle's," he corrected.

Willow shook her head knowing they were not good people, they sounded way too much like Xander's parents towards her brother and she was sad about that. "Not with them."

Lupin made a face. "Sirius and I will find a way to get him from the train to you, I promise."

Willow looked at him for a long moment seeing he was sincere and impulsively hugged him surprising them both but Lupin gratefully took it wrapping his arms about the slender teen. "Thank you," she whispered then let him go, blushing a little. "I mean- I haven't known you long," she got out pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I- you just-," she stuttered looking his way. "It's like I know you- you know? And not just any regular know you it's like really know you in a uncle or father sort of way-," she began to ramble.

Lupin chuckled. "I know," he said interrupting her as he stood. "Let's get something to eat and we'll start planning on how to get you and Harry together."

Not much later Willow found herself sitting between her godfathers as they sat down to a full dinner which Xander seemed set to eat all by himself. Apparently he was over the apparating stomach problem and with the feast in front of him, Willow was pretty sure he was going to eat himself to where he couldn't move. "All things settled?" Sirius asked as he passed Willow a bowl of potatoes.

Willow made a face that both Xander and Buffy took note in seeing they were right across from her. "We need to break the big brother spell," she told them.

"Big brother as in-?" Buffy asked.

"Orwell's," Willow replied. Her two friends and the others, save Jenny, gave her the same look.

"The Ministry is able to watch for Willow since she's underage," Jenny replied. "If she does magic, they'll be able to find her and try to hold her for questioning." All of them noted Jenny said 'try', and they knew Jenny was already annoyed with magic users trying to take her ward already, they would have to face off against her if they did so, ministry or not.

"That's of the bad," Buffy replied as she cut up her slice of roast.

Tonks shook her head. "No one has ever tried. It's just accepted as a fact of life."

The three teens looked to each other then to the head of the table as Mrs. Lupin let out a raspberry sound at that. "All spells can be broken. It just depends on the caster," the elderly witch stated.

"It's never that simple, mother," Lupin replied.

She smiled at him. "Sometimes, it is."

Lupin's eyes went up in frustration towards the sky where his mother couldn't see and the teenagers smiled, all parents were the same no matter what the age apparently. "If Wills is going to be able to use her magic against Voldie then she needs to not have the big brother dudes watching her every move," Xander said after he swallowed a mouthful of potatoes and gravy. His plate was overloaded and gravy threatened to spill onto the tablecloth.

Lupin and Sirius looked to each other over Willow's head. They saw all the likenesses of this teenager threesome and Harry's group of friends.

"There are plenty of books in the study," Mrs. Lupin said as she ate. "Or we could go to Flourish and Botts in Diagon Alley."

"No!" Lupin, Tonks and Sirius exclaimed together.

"That's the place Angel mentioned," Xander said around a mouthful and Buffy shifted a little and the comment of her… ex-boyfriend, working her jaw a few times so she didn't cry. Xander looked her way then wrapped an arm about her shoulders. "Sorry," he apologized.

Buffy shook her head and smiled a little. "Can't change it now, its okay."

Mrs. Lupin tapped her son shoulder with her cane. "What's wrong with our young friend?"

"Lost her boyfriend," Xander replied around a mouthful of food.

"I sent him to Hell," Buffy finished.

Mrs. Lupin blinked at that then nodded. "Wished a few there myself. It'll be alright child; they always found their way back."

The group looked her way curiously as Lupin sighed silently. He loved his mother, but the years of Greyback, his father, and his own curse caused by Greyback literally drove his mother to this state over time. The death of his father several years ago just pushed it all into reality.

Buffy nodded slowly and sighed. "I wish Giles was here."

Jenny nodded at that. "A few days and we'll go look for him at his house – he should be back by then."

"Nothing can hold the G-man down, Buffy, you know that," Xander said as he's eyes were drawn to a large steamed pudding Sparkle put on the table. "You know, I don't know what that is, but I do know its dessert… Brits know how to do the good stuff like el grande size."

"Xander," Buffy said rolling her eyes, her mood lifting.

"Look at it! Desserts aren't this big at home!" Xander replied waving his arms around it as if he was displaying a showcase item on TV.

Sparkle came in with a chocolate cake bigger than the pudding and Xander choked up as he looked to Sparkle. "Elf you may be, but I might marry you."

Lupin and Sirius laughed as Willow shook her head looking Buffy's way. They both knew Xander that well. Sparkle was a little confused at it all but was so pleased with Xander's compliments of her food that she kept bringing in more desserts. She received such applause and praise from the young man that Lupin finally had to stop her from overloading the table.

"So what's with not going to Diagonal Alley?" Buffy asked as Xander took half of the pudding and Sirius handed him the cream to go over it just watching in awe as the boy poured half the pitcher over it and dug in.

"Diagon," Lupin instantly corrected. "We're trying to keep you hidden," Lupin said as he took a moderate portion of pudding himself. "That means not going to a shopping center."

"Oh, so it's like the place we were at in California, Al-Alden… something," Willow got out as she had pudding too. She'd never had it before to find she liked it. "So you have books to study here, though, right?" Xander and Buffy sighed loudly at that question.

Lupin and Sirius began to laugh again. "What's with the funny?" Buffy asked.

Sirius sighed. "You three are quite like Harry and his friends, it's hard not to compare you," he told them. "Willow here is a match to Hermione, bookworm and the smartest witch in the school. Buffy is to Harry, the Slayer to The Boy Who Lived. And Xander and Ron could be brothers, though Ron's hair is brighter red than Willow's and Xander's table manners are better." The two girls smiled at that as Xander with a mouthful of pudding glared at him.

"And he has five brothers already, but knowing Molly, she'd make room for a sixth," Tonks replied as she finished her drink. "I'm going to check the area out," she told them as she smiled to Lupin who smiled back and she headed out.

"So, when might the wedding be?" Mrs. Lupin asked. The group looked her way; she was looking at her son. "Hairs a bit bright, but grandchildren would be nice."

Lupin looked like he swallowed his tongue as the teenagers giggled. Xander took a slice of chocolate cake and sat back to chew on a big mouthful as he watched Lupin try to explain his relationship with Tonks to his mother who was looking quite lucid at the moment.

"Will, I think I'm dying," Xander groaned out in the study less than an hour later where he laid on an overstuffed sofa holding his stomach.

Willow sat in a large dusty chair with stacks of magical books all around her; a scroll and quill conjured up by Sirius who was still chuckling over his friend's debacle with his mother as Tonks came back and found Mrs. Lupin leading her off to have a serious talk about marrying her son while Lupin tried to help deflect the barrage of questions. Buffy went with Sirius to scout the area after Tonks had left to report back to work and to get away from Mrs. Lupin. Buffy mostly went because she was bored and Sirius was fun. That left Xander lying by Willow in overeating pain.

"You're not dying," Willow said absently as her eyes flickered over the words on the pages, her mouth forming the words as she absorbed them in. Spells and theories and more spells. There was a potions book that Jenny had wandered to the back porch with to read, but Willow… Willow was shivering she was so excited.

"Am so," he responded. Willow didn't say anything for a minute or so. "Whatcha readin'?" Xander asked.

Willow smiled.

**Hogwarts, the next day…**

Harry never thought he'd see the day; at the moment he was sitting in Charms going over revisions for taking the OWL's next week with Professor Flitwick as his mind raced back over the last few weeks.

First, he hadn't seen Dumbledore since his talk with Sirius, because he would have let him have it. He fumed for days about the memories he had lost of his sister. And they were just memories that she existed, not of actually knowing her! He knew it was him too since the Headmaster was the only one who even wanted to take Willow from his mind!

Second, the D.A. had been found out. Umbridge had tightened her grip around the neck of Hogwarts and Harry had been caught as the rest of the group fled to get away from being in trouble as well.

Dumbledore and McGonagall had been there with Umbridge and Kingsley Shacklebolt and… Fudge.

"What a bleeding idiot," he muttered under his breath. That got him a look from Hermione who was listening intently while taking notes; she had been concerned about him all day. Ron on the other hand was pretty much asleep in the seat next to him.

Dumbledore had taken the fall for the group to Harry's shock, before Fudge could take him into custody he knocked everyone but Harry out with a spell and fled. Of course that made him no longer Headmaster. Problem was that Umbridge was now in his place and Malfoy and his little band of Slytherins had been made up as Umbridge's Inquisition with her as the High Inquisitor. Even Hermione was spitting mad and ready to rebel.

Harry wasn't sure himself whether he was relieved, angry or worried at this. Dumbledore had been the one to keep them safe, the one he could take serious problems too. Then again, there was the deal with his sister – Willow. That took his mind to a whole new place of joy and anger. He had a sister; Sirius and Lupin were with her right now.

Even during one of Umbridge's routine questionings she asked about Willow and honestly, what could he say? He didn't really know her other than she grew up away from him in America, but he wasn't even telling her that. He really thought about leaving Hogwarts. Just get up and walk out, go down to Hogsmeade and disappear. Exams were coming up and he didn't even care. He hated this place! His friends made it somewhat bearable. But his sanctuary away from the Dursley's was now becoming worse than being with them!

Harry shook his head as he watched Professor Flitwick in the class he was in. He wasn't listening, most of the others weren't. The school wasn't a happy, fun place anymore. The Slytherins lorded the hallways and took points from everyone BUT their own house.

Slytherins, bunch and stupid, bloody, evil gits. That thought brought his mind to Snape and their little occlumency lessons the week before. Harry rubbed at his forehead with that.

He had left Cho permanently from being any kind of boyfriend- girlfriend, and after that experience he wondered just what girls thought anyway. She was always upset or sad, and talking to her was harder than talking with Hermione sometimes. But at least Hermione didn't cry at the drop of a hat. He shook his head to get rid of that memory when the one with Snape came up making him look even more sullen.

**Flashback, Dungeons, Hogwarts…**

Harry went down the stairs and to Snape's offices. He could see the light from the doorway that Snape was in and the door was open enough that he could come in.

"You're late Potter," Snape said coldly, his back was to the door as he used his wand to remove a memory he didn't want Harry to see if he happened to get through his mental barriers. As if that would happen, Snape had really taught him nothing other than to bully him, much like in potions class. Everything he learned was from Hermione. He watched as the memory, silvery like a metallic snake slithered into Dumbledore's pensieve.

"So," Snape said turning around to face Harry and Harry blinked. Snape was usually pale and unwashed looking, but his face was gaunt and he looked like he had seen a ghost. "Have you been practicing?"

Harry nodded slightly. "Yes," he lied looking carefully at one of the legs on Snape's desk so he couldn't see for certain if he knew he was lying or not.

"Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?" Snape said. "Wand out, Potter."

Harry moved into his usual position, facing Snape with the desk between them. His heart was pumping at the thought of how much Snape was about to extract from his mind and he willed himself to build up walls.

"On the count of three then," Snape said lazily. "One- two -"

Snape's office door banged open and Draco Malfoy sped in only to stop when he saw them there. "Professor Snape, sir-," he started, looking at the two of them in surprise.

"It's alright Draco," Snape said lowering his wand. "Potter was just here for remedial potions."

Harry glared at the Professor as Draco sneered Potter's way. The blond boy hadn't looked so happy since Umbridge 'inspected' Hagrid's class. Harry truly wanted to curse the git.

"Well, what is it?" Snape asked Draco, his voice snapping.

"Oh, it's Professor Umbridge sir, she needs your help-," he told him. "They've found Montague sir, he's jammed inside a toilet on the fourth floor."

Harry looked confused at that as Snape let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "And how did that occur?" he asked.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know sir. He's a bit confused."

"Very well-, Potter," Snape said putting his wand away. "We shall resume this lesson tomorrow evening."

He swept from his office as Malfoy went to follow; he turned to look at Harry. 'Remedial Potions?" he mouthed with a sneer before he left.

Harry growled and kicked the desk next to him. He was about to leave when he saw the pensieve still on the desk, and still glowing with all of the things Snape didn't want him to know about. Seething Harry was drawn to the desk and the shimmering light. What didn't Snape want Harry to know?

He glanced to the doorway once again. How long would Snape be gone? Montague was the Captain of the Slytherin quidditch team and bigger than Goyle and Crabbe together, so it might be a while. Harry poked at the memories with the tip of his wand then leaned over to look.

Harry went through the darkness and into the memory landing in a classroom looking at a young man around Harry's age. His long black hair was stringy and greasy and he had a familiar hooked nose as he bent so close to the scroll he was writing on that the tip of his nose almost touched it. "Snape," he said seeing the professor at his own age.

"Five minutes!" a voice called out and Harry looked to see Professor Flitwick standing at the front of the room when his eyes locked onto a familiar head of messy dark brown hair. Harry crept closer and looked to see an almost mirror image of himself, save for a few changes. The boy had hazel eyes, not Harry's green ones, there was no scar, but the two had long features, the other boy had a little longer nose.

He watched and followed the Marauder's, even slimy Peter Pettigrew, all of them as they wandered the halls after Charms OWL's were over and while he was so happy to see his father, he began to understand that he and Sirius were not unlike Malfoy and his cronies.

Harry watched as the two boys tormented young Snape, humiliating him. James was an excellent caster, better than Snape, and very popular. After hexing him, Snape, or 'Snivellus' as the boys called him, was hung upside down showing a long pale white legs and dirty underwear. Harry knew humiliation and couldn't believe his father was like this, like how Snape told him he was.

It was then that he had seen his mother, young Lily defend Snape and James' infatuation with the fiery redhead. He wondered if Willow was Lily's twin in looks like he was he was his father's. Lily told James off then Snape called her a Mudblood and Lily washed her hands of Snape too.

Why? Why when she was defending him? Why would she defend him? Harry wondered.

He didn't get any further when he was yanked out of the thought by a seething Snape. "Happy now Potter?" Snape growled out at him.

"No," Harry got out.

"No? To see your father was just as I said? A bully, a braggart!" Snape yelled at him.

"I'm not my father!" Harry yelled back, surprising himself honestly, but months of being tormented by Umbridge and the 'Inquisition Squad' he was ready to explode at someone.

Snape sneered. "But you are his son," he told him and Harry finally understood. His father was dead so Snape could do nothing but torment Harry instead. The grown up was still a teenager exacting his revenge since he was in the seat of authority. "You will tel-," Snape started when Harry snapped and struck him square in the nose.

Snape was knocked back, surprised at the violent display but with a flick of his wand Harry was thrown back into the rows of bottles on the wall containing ingredients for potions. Luckily Snape had charmed them not to break or who knows what would have happened to Harry. The young man stood up as Snape held his nose; blood was dripping down to the floor. "Get out!" Snape bellowed. "efore I do something I won't regret!"

Harry fled. He was expecting detention for it, but nothing was said by Snape and Harry never went back to be abused again. Harry had wanted to ask Sirius about it, about why his mother stood up for Snape. Why his father was a total prat, but his godfather was with Willow and Remus. Or so he thought.

After that night he began to have dreams, dreams of Sirius and Willow being captured and tortured by Voldemort. But he knew, he knew that couldn't happen. Could it?

Harry came back to the current time as the class was over. Hermione prodded him and he nudged Ron who woke up looking around curiously as to where he was.

"Honestly," Hermione told them. "If you want to be Aurors you're going to have to do better than you have been."

Ron rubbed his eyes as he followed his friends. "That's what we have you for right?" Harry glared at him as Hermione did a sharp turn, her eyes narrowing. "To help!" he amended not wanting her wrath on him.

Hermione stared him down and Ron began to cower and Hermione sighed. "Ronald, there's only so much help and I can or will give." She turned back and stalked off.

Ron looked to Harry. "It's good, right?"

Harry shook his head and Ron slouched down as they followed in their friend's wake to the next class. He looked out the window to see the quidditch pitch. Worst was that Hagrid was gone and he left them with Grawp, luckily the night Umbridge came for Hagrid with a bunch of aurors, Professor McGonagall had defended him with the help of Professor Flitwick and Hagrid escaped, he wasn't sure what getting fired would call for him to be put in jail but now he was gone. Because of that neither teacher was listening to Umbridge and Harry was pretty sure that soon enough they were going to be fired too. He looked out to the Forbidden Forest as he remembered that night…

**Flashback, Forbidden Forest, a few weeks ago…**

The quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw was going on and of course Harry wasn't playing, and Ron as the keeper was not doing so well when Hagrid asked him and Hermione to come with him rather than watch the game…

The two followed him into the dense cover of trees. Little did they know that after a quick paced (or half-giant pace) fifteen minute walk into the forest would they find themselves in a thicket, wands lit up so that they could actually see something, looking at a small mountain. Hermione's mouth was halfway open, her eyes huge at the sight while Harry's brow was furrowed. Why were they staring at this? Why was it so important to Hagrid?

Hagrid looked around then to the kids, he seemed nervous and sad. "Listen – thing is I think I'll be gettin' the sack soon."

"Is that what I think it is?" Hermione whispered nervously. Harry was surprised to see her almost shield herself behind him, Hermione who pretty much wasn't afraid of anything, other than a bad grade.

Hagrid wasn't paying full attention to her, or he didn't hear her as he was blowing his nose and wiping away tears. "She's got it out for me, blames me for the Niffler in her office."

"Was it you?" Harry asked as Hermione clutched onto the back of his robes. Did the mountain just move? He shook his head blinking a few times as he looked back to Hagrid.

Hagrid gave him a look of disbelief. "No! 'Course not! She thinks anything to do with creatures an' it's me! 'Course she wants to be rid of me, just like Trelawney." He waved the handkerchief about. "I wouldn't even be tellin' yeh this if it weren't important," he said. "But if'n I'm gone, I need yeh ta help me. An' Ron, with Ron, if he's willin'."

"Harry-," Hermione started, she was almost breathing down his neck she was so close to him now when the mountain did move. Harry held his breath when the mountain unfurled itself and stood up.

"Is that a-," Harry started at he looked way up to its head.

"Giant," Hermione got out.

"I couldn't leave him there," Hagrid was explaining as the giant stretched and the two teenagers eyes got wider.

"How tall is he?" Harry whispered to Hermione.

"At least four meters… maybe closer to five," Hermione got out.

"You understan' right Harry?" Hagrid said as the giant turned to look at them, Hagrid wasn't being quiet.

Harry backed himself and Hermione up a bit closer to the trees away from the giant. "Understand?" he asked daring to glance at Hagrid.

"I had ta bring him, the other giants were pickin' on him, bein' so small," Hagrid replied.

"That's small?" Hermione got out and the giant looked her way making her gasp and she put a hand over her mouth but kept her wand trained on him.

"How would I understand?" Harry asked again.

"He's me brother… well 'alf-brother," Hagrid replied. "I knows about yeh an' your sister," he said finally smiling and patted his shoulder knocking him into the tree the two were almost behind. "Couldn't leave him there."

Harry understood but Hermione looked concerned. "Hagrid, has he been the one hurting you?" she asked.

Hagrid shook his head looking to the giant who was watching them fully now. "Grawp don't mean it, he's gettin' better. Don't know 'is own strength," he defended the giant.

"Grawp," Harry repeated the name as the two were pulled forward. Hagrid had a hold of Harry's robes and Hermione was dragged along by holding the back of Harry's robes.

"If'n I'm sacked," Hagrid replied. "I need yeh two an' Ron, if he's willin' to take care of Grawp for me."

"I thought you said none of them wanted to come!" Hermione whispered under her breath as the giant apparently was fully waking up, for the moment watching them. That's what he had told them when he got back with Madame Maxine to see if they could get the giants on Harry's side of this war.

"How did you get him back?" Harry asked. Traveling down the open roadway with a sixteen foot giant would have gained notice somewhere.

"Took ta the 'igh-country," Hagrid replied. "Travel at nigh', took to the groun' an' all, but he kep' wantin' to go back."

Hermione let out a groan into Harry's back. "Why didn't you let the violent giant go back then Hagrid?" she asked.

Hagrid looked a little miffed. "Not so violent – that's a bit harsh."

"Then what are the ropes for?" Harry asked. Ropes as thick as saplings bound around the largest trees to the giant.

"You have to keep him tied up?" Hermione got out. That explained why there were no other forest creatures in the area. "What exactly is it that you want us to do?" Hermione asked.

"No feedin' or nothin'!" Hagrid told him. "He can catch birds and deer and stuff. No, its company he needs. Teach him a bit yeh know."

Harry closed his eyes knowing he wouldn't be able to say no to his friend. "Teach him," he said hollowly as he looked to the misshapen figure. Hagrid looked like a really big man, really big. This Grawp, did not. He looked like the giants of fairy-tales. He was misshapen and just huge! Harry couldn't think of anything other than GIANT when he looked at him!

"Even if yeh jus' talk to him for a bit, get 'im to understan' and know we want 'im here," Hagrid pleaded looking between the two.

"Kind of makes you wish Norbert was back doesn't it?" he whispered to Hermione. Hermione let out a strangled laugh into his robes.

"Yeh do it then?" Hagrid asked hopefully.

"We'll—try, Hagrid," Harry told him and he heard Hermione groan in a 'dear god' manner when he said it.

Hagrid beamed. "I knew yeh would!" he told them. "Jus' put on your invisible cloak an' come down once a week," he said as he put his handkerchief away. "Jus' let me introduce yeh first."

Hermione's head came up. "What? No!" she said as Grawp was now bending the top of a massive pine tree back to see how far it would go before it uprooted.

"Won't be jus' a minute," Hagrid said as he walked towards the giant. "Now Grawpy, don't yeh be doin' tha'!" he called out as the giant looked his way.

"Brung friends I did!" he said as Grawp looked in a nest for a bird to eat. Seeing none he threw it out littering the forest floor and Hagrid with the eggs still inside. Hagrid shielded himself as best he could as he decided to head for where the teenagers were at, who were almost hidden behind one of the massive trees. "Now this, listen Grawpy, this is Harry!"

Grawp bent down and two cricket ball sized eyeballs looked their way. Hagrid put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "This is Harry, Harry Potter, 'member I tol' yeh about them?" he said. "And this is Hermione-," he looked her way. "It okay if we go with Hermy, don't think he'll get all that." Hermione nodded her head that it was fine and Hagrid smiled her way. "This is Hermy, Grawpy!" he told his half-brother.

Grawp's hand quickly reached out for her but Harry shoved her behind the tree as Hagrid pushed the massive boulder sized hand away hitting it against the bark of the tree. "NO GRAWPY! No! None of that there!" Hagrid yelled at him.

Grawp let out a roar of frustration batting Hagrid to the ground as he stretched up, the bonds testing their limit as Hermione held on to Harry, shaking at the thought of been crushed and/or eaten by Hagrid's brother.

"Right then," Hagrid said holding his nose to stanch the bleeding as he motioned the kids away from the area as he picked up his crossbow. "He knows yeh now, best we get back."

Harry and Hermione easily stayed up with Hagrid's gait as they headed back for the semi-sanity of Hogwarts when Hagrid stopped and knocked his crossbow with an arrow when the top half of an older human male came into view.

"Hagrid, we warned you," the man said when Harry and Hermione realized it was a centaur, the lower horse half blending in well with the forest as three more centaurs appeared, one of them was Bane. "We agreed what we would do if this human ever came into our forest again," the lead centaur told him.

"Magorian," Hagrid replied unhappily as he kept his bow trained on him. "Jus' human now am I?" he got out. "Not your forest alone."

"You ought not of meddled," Magorian replied.

"Not gonna jus' stand by while yeh murder someone, am I?" Hagrid replied.

"Centaurs are not to be enslaved by any human," Bane growled at him.

"He deserved his fate," Magorian agreed.

"We should just be done with him," Bane told Magorian of Hagrid.

The grey headed Magorian shook his head nodding to Harry and Hermione. "He has his young with him."

"They aren't his young!" Bane retorted. "They're students! They may have benefitted from Firenze's teachings already!"

"Nevertheless, the slaughter of foals is a terrible crime, let him on his way, this once," Magorian ordered.

Bane scowled but Hagrid was having none of this. "Isn't jus' your forest! Come and go as I like!" Hagrid told them.

"To see the one you brought here," Magorian said frowning. "He does not belong and our tolerance of him is waning. Do not return, or your life is forfeit," he warned.

"His forest jus' as much as yours!" Hagrid got out. He looked down to see Harry and Hermione pushing into him to get him to move and reluctantly he did but he frowned at the centaurs until they couldn't see them anymore. "Think they own it," he grumbled then moved more on his own speed than the teenagers. "Weren't gonna hurt yeh," he replied to them.

They made it out and the two Gryffindors breathed in a sigh of relief to see Hogwarts and the hut. Hermione sat down on a large rock taking in a breath. "Hagrid, if they won't allow humans into the forest -," she started.

Hagrid waved that away with his hand. "Yeh heard them, Hermione. Won't hurt foals, yeh be fine."

Hermione gave Harry a look. Harry saw Hermione's face had a few scratches from the branches and her robes had small tears from nettles – she looked worse for wear and knew he probably didn't look much better. The two looked at each other for a moment then listened for the sounds of the quidditch match.

There was a little cheering but people were leaving the stadium and Hagrid motioned. "Must be over, go and join them, no one ta notice yeh even been gone."

"Good idea…," Harry said. "We'll see you later Hagrid," he told him and the two headed over to join the crowd of fellow students.

Hermione shook her head as Harry saw her trying to wrap everything around it in her brilliant mind. "I just can't believe it," she whispered. "A giant, Harry! He wants us to teach a giant English!"

"Calm down!" he whispered back but she turned to face him.

"A giant, getting through murderous centaurs into the middle of the forest to give a giant English lessons!" she said, her voice a little hysterical as Harry grabbed her shoulders.

"Only if he gets the boot," he reminded her. "It might not happen." Hermione gave him an incredulous look and he sighed.

"Umbridge is out for him," Hermione told him what he didn't want to say. "After all he's done I can see why."

"Hermione," Harry said glaring at her. "You didn't mean that."

Tears came to her eyes. "No… I didn't," she replied with a heavy sigh. "This just makes it so much harder." Harry nodded as the sounds of singing came drifting their way and the two sighed together.

"Weasley is our King, Weasley is our King, He didn't let the Quaffle in, Weasley is our King…"

"I wish that would just stop that bloody singing," Hermione told him tired enough to swear. "Let's get inside before the Slytherins get here.

Harry stopped them when he listened and saw the Slytherins weren't the ones singing. There was a wave of red and gold coming their way.

"Weasley can save anything, He never leaves a single ring, that's why Gryffindors all sing, Weasley is our King."

"Hermione…," Harry got out as they saw Ron perched up on the shoulders of a dozen Gryffindors.

"Weasley is our King, Weasley is our King, He didn't let the Quaffle in, Weasley is our King…," the Gryffindors were singing and Ron was smiling as he saw his friends.

"No," Hermione whispered in shock.

"Yes!" Harry said proudly as Ron waved to them.

"Harry, Hermione! We did it! We won!" Ron yelled to them.

Hermione hugged Harry as they cheered him on as the group continued to parade Ron inside the building. They winced when Ron's head smacked into the top of the doorway but the group didn't notice and apparently it didn't slow Ron down either.

"You think we should tell him tomorrow?" Harry asked as they followed the group in.

"Yes, alright," Hermione replied rubbing her forehead. "I'm not in any hurry."

"Harry!" Hermione called out breaking his reverie. He saw his friends looking worriedly at him in the hallway blindly staring at the forest. He sighed as he followed behind them letting all of this get to him. Too many of them, too many disappointments.

They learned from Professor McGonagall that their tests would take place over two weeks time while Malfoy claimed, while just students were around, that he would ace everything since his father knew all the examiners.

"My gran knows Griselda Marchbanks," Neville replied from next to them in class about one of the examiners. "She never mentioned the Malfoys."

Ron shrugged. "Malfoy's full of hot ferret air anyway."

The day before the exams officially started Hermione was in full frantic mode, but she stayed with her prefect duties and made the Gryffindors toe the line about anything that could be considered cheating. Everyone who wasn't in Hermione's genius level was panicking to where Harry and Ron were talking with Eddie Carmichael outside the boy's bathroom who had a pint size bottle of liquid in his hands. "It's Baruffio's Brain Elixir," he told the two boys. "Twelve galleons and you'll get all outstandings like I did last year for my OWL's."

"I swear, Harry," Ron said desperately. "I'll pay you back for my half somehow."

"You will not," Hermione replied as she came up to them with a firm look on her face. Eddie tried to hide the bottle but Hermione snatched it away from him and took a whiff then with a dark look stepped into the girls bathroom and poured it down the sink.

"Watch it, 'Mione!" Ron said trying to stop her but didn't dare go into the bathroom himself. "We were going to buy that!"

Hermione finished dumping it down and she nodded to where Eddie had taken off. Wisely he knew he didn't want to get a lecture from her. "Don't be stupid," she told them. "You might as well buy Harold Dingle's powdered Dragon Claw and be done with it!"

Ron looked excited once again. "Harold's got powered dragon claw?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Not anymore, I confiscated that too. You know these things don't work, right?"

"Dragon claw does!" Ron countered. "Just a pinch and it's supposed to be incredible, boost your brain and all cunning. Come on Hermione, just a pinch -."

"I checked it out," Hermione said flatly as she crossed her arms after throwing the bottle away she stared at her friends. "It's doxy droppings."

Harry made a face and Ron squinted in disgust. "Yeah well - ," Ron said looking at Harry. "Back to studying then?" The two boys left with Hermione following behind them. They didn't go looking for anymore stimulants after that.

At dinner the group was pleased to see that the examiners made Umbridge nervous and Griselda Marchbanks was a lot like Neville's gran, she steamrolled over Umbridge and said exactly what she thought. Finally, someone to stand up to the toad.

The days flew by as Harry did his exams, they were so strenuous and exhausting that sometimes he even forgot that Sirius and Willow were out there together and he would try to sleep as his brain buzzed on all the stuff he did for the day, what he did good and bad and things he would never tell Hermione he did really bad on. Not if he wanted to hear about it for a long time.

They were getting close to the last few days of testing and Harry was glad it would be over; he would find Sirius and Willow and hopefully get away from the Dursleys.

**That same Evening, Wimbourne, England – The Lupin cottage, around midnight…**

Buffy sat on the edge of her bed in the room she shared with Willow. For the past two weeks it had been nice to relax. She watched as Willow sat in the middle of her own bed meditating. She had been doing it a lot since she practically lived in the Lupin's study reading since they had come to her godfather's childhood home. The meditating came because she was literally sparking off magic subconsciously so Jenny set her to meditating. They had all been relieved when Remus brought Giles to them a few days after the Council took him, while Tonks came as her job would let her.

It was weird how crazy Mrs. Lupin was; she caught onto things that probably in her right mind she wouldn't of. She had Sparkle make sure that the bed in Jenny's room was large enough for Jenny and Giles. And while the two looked to each other, they said nothing. Giles himself looked worn and a little tired, but after three days of scrutiny under the Council's interrogators Travers had grudgingly let him leave. Giles had one upped him and quit, leaving Travers surprised and frustrated.

Remus had been the one to retrieve him from his home and for securities sake he had apparated the two of them to several different places before the cottage so that he was sure no one was following them wiccan magic or otherwise.

Buffy glanced at the door hearing someone creeping down the hallway, she knew the footsteps as Xander's and was proven right as the teenager rapped on the door and came in. He knew by now everyone in the house would be asleep but the two girls. Why? Other than teenage energy and the habit of staying up late, that night Jenny had surprised Willow by asking if she could adopt her.

**Flashback to a few hours earlier that evening… **

Sirius and Lupin looked Jenny's way as they sat around the dinner table. Mrs. Lupin had a headache and was in bed leaving the group to more open conversation that night.

Jenny gave them a look back. "Dora and I have been looking into what's needed by the Ministry for all of this to be legal knowing your parents are dead," she replied gently to the teen seeing that Willow had a worried look but was quiet.

"They haven't stopped looking for you Willow," Tonks informed her as she sat back in her chair, over the weeks she and Jenny had become good friends, hence the name 'Dora' now. "The fervor to find you has slowed, only because no one has found you, but they haven't stopped looking." There were a dozen ministry workers going through stacks of papers trying to find out just how they missed Harry Potter's sister for the past 16 years. Scrutiny about Harry had grown with it.

"This is the right thing to do," Jenny continued holding Willow's hand as she smiled at the redhead. "I do care about you, beyond a teacher or guardian, you are becoming more and more like a daughter to me all the time. If I became your legal parent the Ministry has to deal with me."

Willow looked Lupin's way to see that his eyes were hard, emotions warred through them at the thought of someone else raising James and Lily's child. Jenny looked his way as well. "I don't want to take anything away from you Remus," Jenny replied to the look. "I'll step aside if you want to adopt her, but Dora's going to slide the paperwork through if Willow wants it. Sooner or later though, we have to come out of hiding and Willow has to be protected and she'll need a home."

"What about Harry?" Willow asked looking between the adults.

Sirius and Lupin looked to each other. Harry did not deserve to go back to the Dursley's, this they knew. As with Willow they didn't like the idea of someone else raising their godchildren, but what choice did they have? One a convict on the run and the other… Lupin glanced at Tonks and the animorphmagus saw the look knowing it was why he was dragging his heels on even asking her to wed him.

"Being a werewolf doesn't change anything, Remus," she told him. She'd do what she needed if Remus said he wanted to adopt Willow. A part of her wanted him to; he searched so long for his goddaughter. Another part longed for him to ask her to marry him just because he loved her and no other reason, but in these times she would take what she could get, even if it meant giving Willow a full home life.

Lupin looked to the teenagers to see their reaction to his secret; surprising the wizards there as they were all smiling. "We know," Buffy told him. "Willow almost dated one."

The wizarding adults looked her way and she blushed. "One date," she got out as she leaned into Jenny's shoulder. "Oz is a nice guy. Werewolf, yeah, but the rest of the time he was nice."

Sirius looked to Jenny then Giles knowing if Willow was to be adopted then Giles, if things were going the way they were going, he would eventually become her step-father maybe even father. Not as if he wasn't already, all three of the adolescents turned to the muggle for advice about everything. And he saw that the man took it all in stride. "If you're serious about this," Sirius started only to have the three teens grin and he shook his head, they teased him relentlessly about his name. "I- can't-, if I could I would take Harry in a heartbeat to my home, you as well Willow. But until I am proven innocent -," he stopped as he looked Willow over. "They should be together."

Willow looked to Jenny who raised an eyebrow but smiled. "I figured at much," Jenny replied. "Let's see if you two even get a long first, but your home is his."

Willow hugged her happily. "And Xander?"

The men chuckled as Jenny looked to the young man who looked at his half eaten plate of food; so many times the young man was forgotten in the chaos that went on. "He does have parents of his own," she reminded Willow.

"Not good parents," Buffy added.

"That will be up to the law," Jenny replied knowing that Xander was pretty much Willow's chosen brother and was expecting for him to stay as well, and she had a feeling adopting two boys was in her near future. Her grandmother had told her when she was young that she would have many children, she just didn't expect it to be 'this' way. However, Xander did actually have legal parents, which were going to be something to worry about in the long run when this adventure was over. "But for now, it's alright with me."

The teenagers smiled at this as Willow looked at her. "Can I think about it?" Willow asked. They looked her way, many of them surprised at this and she blushed again. "I mean, it's a big thing, you know, like super big."

Buffy and Xander nodded at this. It was a big deal and they knew it.

Dinner finished and Willow found her Uncles sitting on the back step as the evening sun set through the trees overcastting the small yard and garden. They looked her way as she wriggled to sit between them and held each of their closest hands in her own. She had heard stories about them and her father when they went to Hogwarts, the troublemakers and the bullies. She knew in her soul that the two loved her, they spent their lives either hunting for her or rotting in prison for the love they had for her family.

The mood was somber, each of them wanting to bring James and Lily's children into their lives permanently but unable to. Not without serious repercussions.

After sitting there silently for about ten minutes, Willow made a face, Xander and Buffy would call it the 'resolve look' and she stood up facing the two men surprising them. "No matter what, even as my Uncles, you're like a dad to me," she said to Lupin. "Even if you aren't my dad, you are, since my real dad isn't here and my other dad- he forgot – the gypsies, they did something, but that's beside the point," she got out as the two friends looked stunned at the speed of their goddaughters speaking. "I love you, even for a few weeks of even knowing you, I do." She pointed at Sirius who jerked at the hazel eyes of his friend looking at him through his daughter. "And don't think it's not the same for you buster," she told him. "And Jenny, she's really cool and – and I think I want to say yes."

The two men looked at each other then Willow. "Then it would be best if you did," Lupin told her. Tears welled up in Willow's eyes and she hugged them both with an arm around each neck as she began to cry. So like Lily, only the talk would have involved firmer words, English words they could understand and a smack up the side of the head before she hugged them.

Buffy had seen and heard their conversation as she had gone on a short patrol around the wooded area and she was happy for her friend. It reminded her of the day after Lupin brought Giles back from his house. Her Watcher had told them plenty of what went on after he ate a fine meal at the Lupin's dining table and had been informed of exactly what Sparkle was since his reaction was much like Buffy's. The teens had cheered his quitting the Council.

"Mind you Buffy," Giles said setting down his tea cup to saucer looking very relaxed at the moment in such an English setting even with dark circles under his eyes from stress and lack of sleep. "They will not stop looking for you. You are a Slayer and not under their control." He gave her a look and she stilled, she knew that look, he was going to have her do something and he wasn't sure if she would like it. If his hands were free he'd polish his glasses. "It's been over a week since you called your mother."

Xander and Willow looked her way and Buffy stood up from her seat by Willow to look out the window. "It's not that I'm not with the speaking to her Giles…," she got out. "Speakage is good, I'm with the good, I'm good… but I'm not ready to go back."

"Nevertheless, Buffy," Giles reminded her, "your mother is most likely very worried and she loves you. You need to get in touch with her."

"What about the Council?" Xander asked. "Won't they be watching?"

"Or listening?" Willow added. "I mean, it is the Council and if they weren't human, they'd be evil."

Buffy and Xander nodded while Giles sighed. "Not all in the Watcher's Council are like Quentin Travers," he told them.

"But they do all that bad stuff," Buffy replied. "And I'm just a tool, live or die, they don't care. Died once and I don't want the dying again, Giles."

Xander and Willow both nodded along with that. "They could wiretap her mom's phone," Willow told him. "Tonks said they planted stuff all over your place the other day."

Giles sat for a moment looking very thoughtful then nodded. "I have some friends in Devon who can help with that." He put his cup and saucer down and stood up looking to Sirius. "I will need your assistance."

Sirius nodded slightly. "I'm at your service," he replied. He liked Willow's friends and he was impressed by Buffy's mother. That was a strong woman. And she was quite beautiful as well.

Buffy found herself not much later on some dark and desolate street in some random English city that she didn't know the name of with rain coming down in sheets as she stood by a red phone box and Giles was inside talking with someone on the phone. Sirius had stayed by her until a few people started down the sidewalk, so he hid in the bushes for a moment then came out transformed as a big black dog.

"Oh, look at you Mr. Snuffles!" Buffy said teasing him and he growled at her not liking the name but his eyes looked surprised at her that she had used the same name Harry and friends had for him without knowing.

She teased and petted him for a while until Giles came out of the box. "A… friend has made it so that your call to your mother will be private," he told her.

Buffy looked at the phone box nervously. "What if she changed her mind?" she asked meekly.

Giles smiled putting his hands on her shoulders and Watcher and Slayer, the best team in the history of all the Slayers looked to each other. "If there's one thing I know about your mother is that no matter what you do – she will always love you. That I am sure of," he said.

Buffy let out a very long sigh then nodded and went into the box and picked up the phone. Giles handed her a number to dial and he closed the door and stood in front of it before looking to 'Snuffles'.

"If you're thinking about wooing Mrs. Summers you better clean up, she does have a status of class," he told Sirius. Sirius growled back at him but Giles smirked knowing Sirius' humor. "You better get your name cleared as well." Sirius growled even more, Giles knew he was swearing at him and that's how it was coming out. "Even if Buffy likes you it doesn't mean she'd be happy with you as her stepfather. She has threatened to pull out a ribcage or two to people."

'Snuffles' was silent but broody after that.

Buffy found her hand was shaking as she dialed the number on the phone and listened as it clicked a few times connecting overseas, thousands of miles away.

"Hello?" her mother said into the phone. She sounded tired; Buffy hadn't realized that it might be the middle of the night in California.

"Mom?" she got out.

"Buffy!" Joyce said with relief. "Thank god! Where are you?"

"England, land of Giles," she said softly relishing the sound of her mother's voice. She hadn't realized how much she missed her mom until that moment.

"What? What are you doing in England?" Joyce asked.

"Willow, helping Willow," she got out.

"Helping Willow?" Joyce replied not understanding. "Why do you need to be in England to help Willow?" she said but continued on. "I've talked with both the police and the school board, Buffy. Your name is cleared and that little weasel Principal Snyder is no longer at Sunnydale High. You can come back," Joyce said, the sound of her voice breaking, before she let out a breath. Buffy felt tears run down her cheeks as she realized just what her mom had done. She, Buffy Summers was the Vampire Slayer, defender of the world from demons and the badly bad. But her mom was her defender.

She wiped her eyes as her mother spoke up again. "I know I didn't do my best, Buffy," Joyce said as the sound of her mother crying made her cry more. She slid down sitting in the corner of the box just listening to her mother talk; she didn't make most of it out as she just listened to her mother's voice and the rain pounding on the top of the box. "Come back Buffy, please," her mom said sadly.

Buffy was silent as she wiped her eyes for the hundredth time as she looked to see Giles still standing watch outside the box. "I can't, mom," she whispered. "Not yet."

"Why not?" Joyce asked.

"I need to help Willow," Buffy told her. "She's helped me, and she's my friend… she needs me here… and Sunnydale, there's just too much, too many memories there right now."

There was silence for a long moment. "Then I'm going to come there," Joyce replied firmly.

Buffy stilled. "What?"

"Let me talk to Mr. Giles," her mother said.

Buffy was in shock as she got herself up and pushed the door open. Giles turned to look at her, concern on his face. Curiosity replaced it as she held the receiver out to him and she stood out in the rain watching the drops fall to the ground. Her mom coming to England? Tears mixed with the rain on her face. She wanted to be with Buffy that much? Even after all that had been said and done? She felt wet fur at her hand and she held onto Sirius' ruff standing there in shock until she felt Giles' arm about her shoulders.

"Everything will be fine," he told her as he led her to the forested area where Sirius changed to human form to take them back to the Lupin's.

Buffy believed him.

"So what's the what?" Xander said sitting by Buffy as they watched Willow meditating still and Buffy came back to the present.

"I think she's learned something new," Buffy replied.

Xander nodded at this. "All she's done is read, even through moviefest."

That had been interesting. The three teenagers had a TV conjured up by Tonks, who knew what one was and after figuring out how to get power to it they sat the wizards and witch down in front of it and watched the classics; the three original Star Wars movies, Charlie Brown Christmas, and Batman Returns. Which the girls weren't surprised about since Xander picked them out. The magic users were a little surprised at the muggle violence that went on in the world. They had to be told a few times that it wasn't real; it was made up, a movie, not a memory. That made it a little easier for them, but then the kids grew up on a Hellmouth, so they were still debating the craziness of muggles.

"It's about getting to use my magic again," Willow said opening her eyes with a smile.

"You found a way around big brother?" Buffy asked.

Willow made a face. "I think so, it's like feedback on a computer," she started but her two friends made a face, computer analogy didn't work so well with them. "It's like when you use a phone," she started again and they both nodded, they knew phones. "You know how when you talk on it sometimes you hear something else in the background, something that shouldn't be there?" she asked. Her two friends nodded, it was rare but it happened. "That's what the Ministries does, the spell is put on children and when they do magic this feedback goes to them saying 'hey, kid doing magic, not of the good'."

"Then why didn't it do that in Sunnyhell?" Xander asked.

"The Hellmouth blocked it from going back to them," Willow said. "So, I'm going to block the feedback permanently."

"How?" Xander asked. "I mean, why doesn't every magical kid do it?"

"Wizards just accept it now so nobody looks for it," Willow replied to the latter question first. "It took forever, even with Uncle Remus' help to find the initial spell, and it was a doozy."

"Not in your Hogwarts History book, huh?" Xander asked, he and Buffy gave each other a look knowing too well how Willow had told them stories about what had gone on there to rival Sunnydale High.

"Hey!" Willow squeaked out as Buffy rolled her eyes at Xander. Not that either of them minded hearing another bizarre tales relating to Willow's heritage, but they were meeting for a reason.

"Anyway," Buffy interrupted. "You found it then? What to do?"

Willow looked to her then began to blush. "Yes," she got out as her face went redder.

Her friends looked concerned. "It's not sex magic is it?" Xander whispered in awe.

"No!" Willow protested, blushing even more. "Wizards don't do that!" At least as far as she knew they didn't.

"Then what is it with the blushiness," Xander asked raising an eyebrow and a little leer which made Buffy smack his arm and the two laughed.

Willow sighed, lying back on her bed. "It's in me," she replied. Her two friends were silent.

"What's 'in' you?" Buffy asked this time, her voice more concerned. "'Cause you know something like, 'serial killer IN me', that would be with the bad."

Willow sat back up giving them both a worried look. "The hellmouth," she replied and when she got a blank look back from her friends she sighed and tried again. "I grew up there, how much of that have I sucked in since we started fighting all the darkness and me doing magic around it?"

"So why isn't it working now?" Xander asked finally comprehending what Willow was telling them.

Buffy looked confused. "It's in California and we're in England."

"No, the essence, all that black junk I coughed up and sucked down with my badness vamp and the thing from when the Master was… you know…" Willow broke off looking to Buffy.

"Killing me, remember it well," Buffy replied with a sigh. "So, if you have all this Hellmouthy 'essence' in you, why isn't it working now?"

"Didn't I ask that already?" Xander replied sitting down by Buffy as they faced Willow.

"Because I need to be at a Hellmouth to make it stick," Willow said.

"And when you leave it doesn't work anymore?" Xander questioned. "Sucky way to be free of the man."

Willow scowled at him. "No, I need to get to a Hellmouth to spell it to be constant; the icky in me will keep me blocked from the Ministry until I turn seventeen." She thought about that. "Actually it's better than I thought-," she murmured at the possibilities of not being detected even after she was seventeen.

Buffy blinked a few times as her blue eyes narrowed. "You said 'a Hellmouth', like twice even."

Xander's head snapped up at that. "You mean there's more than one?" he got out.

Willow nodded slowly knowing she was going to show something very bad to her friends as she pulled one of the books she had laid open by her and held it out. It was old and there were ten dots marked on a world map. One of them was Sunnydale, California, the next closest in the mid-north of America.

Xander's jaw dropped as Buffy's face took on a defeated look. "How many is that?" Xander got out. "We can't protect all of those!"

"Giles said that the Sunnydale one is the active one," Willow replied.

Buffy looked up from the book. "Giles knew about this?"

Willow shrugged a little. "He was surprised when Jenny showed it to him. He knew about a couple of them, but not that many. Jenny was more surprised he didn't know about them."

Xander fell back onto the bed with a groan as Buffy rubbed the bridge of her nose, very Giles looking. "Where's the closest one to us?" she asked softly.

Willow bit her lower lip. "Stonehenge."

"A world landmark is a place of hell, lovely," Buffy got out sounding more depressed.

"Actually the ancient druids knew what the hellmouth was and built Stonehenge around it so it couldn't open and the evilness of the world couldn't access it," Willow replied.

"Go ancient druids," Xander said a little sarcastically from where he lay, his mind still on the thought of all those hellmouths.

"They were smarter than that," Willow replied. "They positioned the stones to align with the universe to actually channel the power of the Hellmouth for good."

Buffy sighed heavily. "At least that's one I don't have to worry about."

"We," Xander amended as he sat up putting an arm about her shoulder. "Mere mortal I may be, but we do this together."

Buffy looked to see Willow nod in agreement and she hugged Xander's waist. "Thanks guys."

"So the sooner we go the better," Buffy replied.

"The sooner I get to see Harry," Willow said with a faraway look in her eyes and a few tears came. Her two friends moved to the other bed and she let out a laugh as they hugged her between them.

"So, do we leave the adults and hitchhike to Stonehenge or what?" Xander asked.

"'Or what' would be good," Jenny said from the doorway and the three teens looked her way. She was in jeans, t-shirt and jacket and Sirius came into view and they could see Remus and Giles in the background, apparently all the adults were awake. "How about we go magically and without you three on the run again?"

"Or there's that," Xander replied.

The group went to Giles and Jenny's room where there was a small array of weapons from Giles' personal collection he and Lupin had gone to his house to get earlier that day laid out on the bed. A few axes, swords and crossbows along with a variety of newly sharpened stakes, and vials and water guns filled with holy water.

Jenny had a few small bags that she was tucking into her jacket pockets while Willow handled a few of them herself.

"What's in the bags?" Xander asked as he took an axe, stake and a water gun from Giles without question.

After seeing Sunnydale first hand, Remus and Sirius both took a few stakes and a water gun each figuring their magic would work better if they weren't burdened by a large weapon. Buffy had a sword, stake and a few daggers as did Giles, leaving Jenny and Willow pretty much weapon free. Jenny was Willow's anchor is this; the two were to be protected, just in case.

"Corpse dust and dried demon blood," Jenny told him.

Xander made a face. "Glad I didn't ask for a snack."

Sirius and Remus smiled. "You get sick anyway," Buffy told him knowing they were going to apparate.

"Yeah," he replied looking a little green. "Maybe hitchhiking isn't so bad, Buff."

Buffy rolled her eyes and led Xander out of the room.

**England, Wiltshire County, Stonehenge, a bit later past Midnight…**

Sirius Black stood next to his old friend as they watched their goddaughter with her guardian in the center of the ancient site. They had apparated past any guards and so far no one had yet to bother them. The area about them was as peaceful as one could get with massive stone monuments looming over them.

"You think this earth magic is real?" he asked Lupin.

Lupin glanced his way. "We saw Willow floating in the air back in the states, as well as casters with no wands. I don't believe either was wizarding magic."

Sirius nodded a little at that and looked around. "If the Hellmouth here is radiating that of good, why are we waiting for vampires and such to attack?"

Lupin sighed. "I'm not quite sure."

"Because when Willow and Jenny do this spell, it will wake up the supernatural. Good or not, they are all drawn to it." Giles said passing by them silently, "It will alert your good Ministry that an underage witch is casting until the spell is complete as well. I pray your death eaters stay away."

Sirius nodded at that. "I pray for that all the time," he said sarcastically.

Giles gave them a dirty look and continued on and Lupin scowled at his friend but didn't say anything when they heard. "I think he's the 'you' of our bunch," Buffy said in the dark, the Marauders couldn't see her clearly.

"No way!" Xander replied. "What about Willow's dad?"

The two men listened. "Dead, so that would be me, and Remus is smarter, so that's Willow."

"Agh!" Xander protested loudly and Remus smiled at his friend when they realized what the two were talking about.

"You can be the rat man that betrayed them all," Buffy offered.

"Ew, no, seriously," Xander stated and the two laughed mocking Sirius' name again and he groaned. British children were never this bad.

"Must you talk all the time?" Giles got out quietly from the other side of the wizards.

"We must, Giles," Buffy replied. "It's a Sunnydale tradition."

"Yet, we are not in Sunnydale now," he reminded them.

"But its tradition," Buffy whined.

"Tradition or not, be silent _**NOW**_," Jenny got out. The two teens went absolutely silent.

"They listen to her," Sirius smirked.

"_**All of you,"**_ Jenny growled and Sirius fell silent too. A mad woman, you did not want to cross, more importantly a mad gypsy woman.

Buffy and Xander patrolled the outer edge of the stone circle as Giles was just inside that. He and Lupin were the closest to their goddaughter, Giles realizing that if they can magic themselves that close, so could any other wizard. They were the last line of defense giving them a chance to cast against any magic users while they tried to get past the others. They watched as Willow and Jenny finished their circle of dust and blood and they knelt down in the center facing each other.

There was a little glowing light and they saw Jenny's head nod. "It's one o'clock, let's begin." The witching hour, while the spell would affect the wizarding world, the spell itself, was very wiccan.

They watched as their goddaughter lifted her hand up and the candles lit. The ministry would now know an underage caster was at Stonehenge. However, they were in awe of her ability to cast so easily, especially with no wand. Only someone like Dumbledore could do something like that and even then not as effortlessly.

**London, England, Ministry of Magic, Auror Division…**

Tonks was on the night shift knowing that tonight was going to be the night Willow blocked the Ministry and all others from knowing when she was casting as an underage witch.

Normally the auror wouldn't have thought anything like it was possible, but she learned over the past few weeks that Remus' goddaughter and the others from Sunnydale, even one of her own countrymen were not taking it lightly. They believed it could be done. And for that Tonks had her own part in this crazy plan to help stop her fellow aurors from hurting her boyfriend, his best friend, their godchild and friends.

She knew she could be fired, even jailed for doing this, but then she would already be in hot water for just being in the same area with a wanted escapee and the sister of Harry Potter, who was wanted in one country for underage magic use and the other for being the sister of Harry Potter. And honestly, she was starting to think the Americans would be gentler with her than the Ministry here.

Even though she knew it was coming Tonks still jumped when there was a flash in the floo from the department watch of underage magic. Moody was there when the face of the ministry worker showed up. "There's underage magic at Stonehenge!" she told him.

"Is it her, Potter's sister?" Moody asked.

The woman shook her head then disappear for a moment and came back. "It's her!"

Moody nodded and looked to the ten aurors there. "Death Eaters will be sure to follow. While we're there to apprehend her, protecting her is more important!" he reminded them. "Go!" he said and all eleven of them apparated away.

**England, Wiltshire County, no less than ten miles away at Malfoy Manor at the same time…**

Lucius looked to where his sister in law Bellatrix sat with Narcissa in the drawing room.

Many of the Death Eaters that had escaped were at Malfoy Manor. While he was loyal to his Master, Lucius didn't like some of them that were there. Like Fenrir, while vicious and loyal to Voldemort as well, he was a lowly werewolf that a Malfoy would never invite into his home, that and he had been looking at his wife like she was something to eat. Between him and the Carrows they were enough to make Lucius irritable.

He was moving through to his own private room when the fireplace lit up and the voice of a death eater working in the Ministry came to them. "The girl is casting at Stonehenge," they said and were gone.

"Excellent," Bellatrix said standing as she drew her wand with a smirk as Voldemort came through to where the majority of them were.

"Do not let her escape," he warned them. The group the Potter girl was with had killed six of his death eaters a few weeks back in Godric's Hollow and he was not happy. "Kill the others, but bring her to me!"

Masks and black robes were transfigured on just before they apparated away leaving Voldemort to seethe as he closed his eyes and felt for his bond with the boy.

**Back at Stonehenge…**

"Druids of old who bound up Hell," Willow chanted and the ground beneath her and Jenny began to glow, an outline of a pentagram and ancient runic lettering formed. "Harness the dark inside to serve me well."

The glow coalesced to Willow's kneeling form; the group that came with her was spell-bound to see the essence of something pure black pour from Willow and mix with the glow. It spun about her when they heard a commotion behind them.

"They're here!" Xander called out.

Sirius stepped forward seeing beings apparate in various ways towards them and he held up his wand. "Reducto!" he said pointing to one that he knew was a death eater.

Lupin stood just outside the casting circle as he tensed, waiting to see if Sirius could manage by himself as he watched Buffy and Xander work well together as the young woman killed four beings of the likes he had never seen before while knocking out a few others almost like it was a walk in the park.

"Tuatha De Danann, Gaia, Hecate, Circe," Willow continued on once she got her breath back and the dark returned to her folding and shaping to her body once again. "Your daughter of witch and wiccan sends her plea. The geas that binds my life until seventeen-."

Lupin took in a breath when he saw aurors begin to apparate closer to them. Silently he began to hex and jinx them. When Tonks appeared she 'accidently' tripped over one of her fellow aurors and took down two standing ones by falling on them.

"See here!" one called out before he was knocked unconscious by Giles who had come up silently. The rest of the aurors saw the death eaters and went for them, Moody at the lead.

"Let no being who exists in time and space," Willow called out as her eyes began to cast a dark golden glow, just like when Lupin had seen her in Sunnydale, her hair whipping around her face. "To ever let my casting trace."

The casting circle about them lit on fire shocking most of the people there by the magnitude of it all, allowing those who were defending the two women to take them down. Beads of fire flew about Willow and Jenny in the center of the circle. Jenny's head bent by Willow's as she concentrated on keeping Willow's essence, soul and being anchored.

Willow looked up as the fire formed a wall thirty feet high, the heat of it drove all of them back. Aurors, Death Eaters, any that had come to find the power behind this casting watched this.

"Blood of the damned! Ash of the mortal! Immortal blessing! Grant me this grace!" Willow cried out. The fire lit up so brightly that all nocturnal creatures cried out as the stones of Stonehenge glowed briefly at the power created there. A few of them died at the brightness and power, the rest who knew they might just end up fried at the power of such a caster fled.

At that moment to the north Harry dreamed of the Department of Mysteries again, going to row ninety seven forcing Sirius to reach for the orb, only this time, one down the row began to glow as well.

At Stonehenge the fire flashed out blowing the candles out to complete darkness stunning all the attackers for just a moment. Willow's group had a plan for this. Lupin ran to Jenny and Willow in the circle while Buffy, Xander and Giles were to get to Sirius as fast as they good to take them back.

Lupin had used every bit of werewolf strength and agility in him to get to the two and with a whisper the three were apparated away. He took them to half a dozen quick stops all over Britain to stop any followers. Remus dropped himself and his passengers roughly on the foyer floor of his mother's house, gasping as he held out his wand checking as he made sure no one followed, his eyes filled with pain. He had been hit by a spell just before he grabbed them, throwing him off making the teleporting painful for him and a shaky ride for the two women. Jenny and Willow got him up but his back hurt terribly. "Uncle Remus?" Willow asked tiredly.

They were slammed to the floor again when Sirius and his three passengers landed on them coming from their own apparating jaunt. All four of them were singed and smoking. "Damn bloody wankers!" Sirius got out.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Notes:** Yes, it has been a long time since I updated this story. I have to tell you that this story is practice for me to learn and hone my craft. I only write on it when my muse, who hasn't been around for a while, is there. And my brother introduced me to World of Warcraft last year – so… you know… go Alliance?

I do plan on finishing my story. When? I have no clue. I do know that Harry and Willow will meet in the next chapter or the one after it; it really is drawing to that point.

Flashbacks – yes, please, have some. I had to link a few things together and yes, Harry's were out of the book with some changes AND I messed the timeline up a touch, but meh, this is an AU, I can do that.

I appreciate all of the wonderful, and some crazy, notes I've received during this time from you guys. Thank you so much for them. They are all cherished and I keep them all – even the crazy ones…


	29. Chapter 29

**The Next Morning, Lupin's…**

Xander groaned as daylight filtered through the window right onto his face. He knew three things at that moment. One, he needed to pee, really bad. Two, he was hungry. And three, he was laying on something or someone since it was both warm and a little harder than a mattress or couch.

Opening his brown eyes Xander saw a bit of female curvage right in front of him. "Wholly mother mary," he got out hoarsely. He tried to get up but found he missed a few things. One – or in this case of still counting, four, he was staring at Buffy's – things, since his head was resting on her stomach, and two, someone was laying on top of him. Luckily Buffy was clothed and he glanced to see that Willow was halfway on top of him, still clothed. And yay, he was still clothed! He wasn't going to burn in hell for something bad. The three had just dogpiled asleep on a bed after their night at Stonehenge.

"Will," he whispered. "I need to pee." That apparently meant to Willow, snuggle in closer.

"Pretty," Willow mumbled into his back with a smile on her face.

Xander made a face at that knowing that she was dreaming and didn't mean he was pretty, pretty to girls meant girly pretty, he was not girly pretty – or at least he hoped not. "Yup, whoever it is – sure is pretty, need to move, Will," he told her. It took a bit of doing, Willow was just clinging everywhere as he got out and with a grin wrapped her around Buffy who was still out of it before he hurried to the bathroom.

He remembered the night before as he did his business. His group at Stonehenge had seen Remus disappear with Jenny and Willow but they had to help get Giles clear of a wizard/demon battle before the four could leave. Luckily Tonks helped them out and they got hit by a stray burst of demon fire from some big nasty thing before Sirius got them out of there. Sirius had taken the brunt of the flames and when they landed on Remus' group they were smoking.

Remus had been hit with a spell that hurt his back but he assured them he'd be alright. The three teenagers had been hyper from the action and spent the night in Willow and Buffy's room chatting and that was where Xander had woken up.

He sniffed his clothing and, whew! He still smelled smoky and now a bit odory so he took a shower and headed for his room in a towel as he heard Willow mutter something else in her sleep as he passed the girls' room and grinned when he heard Buffy say something and knew she was awake.

By the time Willow and Buffy were up and ready for the day Xander was on his fifth cinnamon roll, or as the Brits called them, a bun. But whatever.

"Hungry much?" Buffy asked as they sat down by him, Mrs. Lupin was there with her tea as Xander had a large dinner platter stacked with 'buns'. Not like five or ten, more like twenty to thirty.

"Sparkle loves me," Xander clarified happily.

Mrs. Lupin nodded. "She was very good with Remus when he was a child."

Xander looked her way not sure if that was an insult or not, he was a young man, not a child. He decided not to bother with it; she was old and half off her rocker.

Willow took a bun and Sparkle appeared and added another to it. Every time anyone ate one she put a new one on. The two girls smiled at that as Buffy inhaled her tea. She was not awake yet and was grateful the Brits loved their national drink caffeinated. "So where is every-," Buffy stopped as she took a bun and Sparkle popped another one back on. "-one?" she finished. Her slayer senses were not prepared for house elves this early.

Mrs. Lupin smiled. "Remus and Nymphadora have gone somewhere, I would hope in regards to something personal, but Merlin if they inform me," she told them. "Young Sirius has gone with your guardians somewhere they have not divulged to me either," she informed Buffy.

"So, what do we do then?" Xander asked. "Will's got the witchy-fu going again. We could head on to Harry's school on our own."

"Giles and Jenny would kill us," Willow told them with a shake of her head. "I haven't really learned to teleport yet."

"We are in countryville," Buffy finished in agreement as she took another bun and another was put on top. Xander was up to six now, Buffy on her second and Willow was still working on her first. Mrs. Lupin's cottage was a ways away from any city. "No place to really go."

Mrs. Lupin smiled. "Nonsense, we shall make a day of it then, shall we?"

The three teens looked her way. "Doing what?" Buffy asked curiously.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**Around the same time - #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey…**

Petunia Dursley was up making breakfast for her family when she spotted a nice but mid range priced car pull up in front of her house. Vernon hadn't left for work yet and Dudley was getting ready for school.

With eagle eyes she watched as a well dressed gentleman in a tailored suit and tie got out of the driver's side, came around and opened the passenger door for a beautiful and also well dressed woman younger than the man to get out of the car. The woman had an armful of files and a clipboard while the man looked directly at her house and he didn't look like he was here for a friendly visit, he looked like a government official.

"Vernon!" she called out as she kept watch.

"In a second!" Vernon called back. He was much more even tempered without her brat of a nephew there.

The man started up the walk as the woman read out of a file to him. He said something back to her and the woman just stared at him in shock for moment before following him. Petunia felt fear creeping up her spine, if he was that abrupt with his subordinates what was he going to be like with her husband? She was confident in Vernon's abilities to handle anything, but this man, Petunia knew to the core of her being, was beyond Vernon's league. "Now!" she called out again looking towards the stairs. "There's someone at the door!"

Vernon came lumbering down the stairs. His size was formidable, and he wore a nice suit, but he looked like a walrus on his best day. This man outside ringing the bell, he was like a hawk, circling for prey.

Petunia stood in the kitchen doorway as Vernon answered the door. Her husband looked to the man and his suit and him in general and she sighed in relief as he understood now that this man was not to be trifled with. "Yes? May I help you?" Vernon asked.

**A few minutes earlier…**

Sirius sat in the back seat of the nice car Giles had 'borrowed' from a parking lot for this part of their journey. They had Willow's adoption papers ready to get through the Ministry with Tonks' help. Now they needed to get Harry free from the Dursley's. He had told Giles and Jenny all about the Dursley's and their relation to his beloved godson. How on earth the two women could be so different and be blood related, he didn't know.

Sirius disillusioned himself just before they rounded the corner. He nodded with a smile, while he didn't want to give up his godson to someone else, after being around these two, he knew it would be fire and brimstone protecting James and Lily's children, they were a force not to be trifled with and it made him smile.

**At the car…**

Jenny looked out at just your average looking English home that Rupert had pulled in front of, the home of where Willow's twin brother had grown up; apparently it had not been good. She knew what normal homes could hide. She glanced at Rupert while she got her 'files' in order.

"You do remember not to say anything," Rupert reminded her as he straightened his tie. Her attempt at an English accent wasn't bad, but when angry, it was a pure American with a dash of Romany swearing that came out. And if the Dursley's were like Sirius, Dora and Remus had told them about, she would not be in character for this.

Jenny nodded as they heard Sirius snicker behind them. "Yes, I know," she told Rupert looking his way and she smiled. He was incredibly hot looking, very polished, in an expensive and tailored suit and tie. He glanced her way and saw the look and gave her a small smile.

Giles' eyes then went a cold bureaucrat and he got out of the car, came around and opened her door as any English gentleman should and she got out. Every inch of him radiated an Alpha male with authority which the others had informed them would make the larger male Dursley more agreeable, the man was a bully and stood up only to those weaker than himself. Jenny opened her files as he strode up the walk towards the door; they had both spotted a woman looking at them through one of the windows.

"Is it inappropriate right now for me to say that you are incredibly sexy like that?" she got out as she pretended to read the file to him.

"Not at all," he said evenly. "Headmaster and school girl later on then?" he said in such an even tone that Jenny stared at him for a long moment as they made it to the front steps and he rang the bell. He clasped his hands behind him taking on the air of superiority and she smiled.

The door opened and Jenny blinked in surprise at the size of this man. He was 'rotund', for lack for a better word. Behind him was a skinny bird like woman watching nervously from a doorway.

"Yes? May I help you?" the man asked gruffly.

Rupert held up an ID wallet, bewitched to be very official looking credentials of a government administrator. "Yes you may," he replied in a very clipped, very English, VERY high class voice. "I'm Dr. Quentin Windham-Price, head of the Surrey Department of Child Services."

Jenny saw the man's face go a little darker color at that news. "I assure you my son has done nothing-," he started in a loud voice before the woman came up and put a hand of his arm stopping him from yelling at Rupert whose eyebrow had slowly gone up as Vernon's voice got louder and the eyes colder, more judging.

"Why don't you come in for tea," the woman told them.

The large man nodded as they could see him try and calm himself down. "Of course," he said grudgingly as he opened the door.

The living room was nice, your average middle class home. Jenny looked to the pictures noticing that they were all of the man, woman and a very ball shaped boy who varied in age from child to mid-teen; the older he got, the heavier he got. Like father like son apparently.

Rupert was seated on one of the high backed chairs in the room with a cup of tea as he looked around the room. "I'm Petunia Dursley," the woman told them as she was 'mother' over the tea. Jenny waved off the tea as she continued to look around the room. "This is my husband Vernon and the boy in the picture is our son, Dudley."

Jenny nodded as she took out a small camera and took a few pictures. The Dursley's looked curiously at her.

Rupert set his cup down on his saucer. "I'm here about a file on a boy in your care." He took up a file from Jenny. "A Harold James Potter."

They watched as Mr. Dursley's face turned purple. "That boy is a menace! What's he done now?"

Rupert finished his tea and carefully set cup and saucer down on the coffee table before he looked to his folder again. "According to this, young Mr. Potter stopped regular schooling at age eleven and has not been back since." He looked to them. "You are on file as his legal guardians, and as poor oversight to my staff he has come to my attention and if he is as you say, a menace, then the government will take over his care." He looked to the two of them with sharp eyes. "Where is Mr. Potter?" he asked.

Vernon looked apoplectic while Petunia was as white as a ghost. Jenny took a picture of that shocking them both.

"Mum!" came a whiny warble from a teenage boy from up the stairs. "This don't fit!"

"In a moment Dudders!" Petunia called out nervously.

"I have school, Mum!" the boy called back and the thump of heavy footsteps came down the stairs. A husky teen came into the room with his pants on but the waist undone, they were too small and his white school shirt was straining at the seams to hold him in. While not as large as his father, he was not skinny. He stopped when he saw the guests and his eyes went wide when Rupert looked his way. He did have a commanding presence.

"And this is?" Rupert asked.

"Our son," Vernon spat out. "Dudley."

"I see," Rupert replied looking him over again and jotting something down in the file somewhere. "I assume you have the boy on a slimming regimen, that much weight is not good for him."

"He's a healthy young lad!" Vernon replied.

Rupert looked to him and Vernon swallowed as piercing eyes looked him before Rupert jotted something else in his files. "A matter for later discussion, where is Mr. Potter?" Rupert asked firmly looking to them. "I shan't ask again."

"That freak? Gone he is," Dudley said.

"Gone," Rupert replied as Jenny took more pictures. "He's not here then?"

"He's at a boarding school," Petunia got out as she watched worriedly as Jenny wandered and took more pictures. Dudley watched her with somewhat of a leering scowl, Jenny was hot.

Rupert looked at his files. "No school is listed here. Yet I have reports from neighbors about a smallish child," he glanced at Dudley again, "so not your own, in clothing fit for a beggar and looking as if he ate table scraps." He looked to the two again.

"He gets enough to eat!" Vernon replied.

"Apparently not if you and your son are of any veracity to this," Rupert's voice snapped. "I want to see him- now." The last word came out as a command, not a request.

"He's at school! He doesn't live here except during summer months!" Petunia got out as Jenny continued to take photos of the place. She went to follow Jenny but Rupert cleared his throat as she moved, at the look he gave her Petunia stayed where she was.

"My assistant has every legal authority to take record of the entirety of your house, you are Mr. Potter's guardians and are held accountable for his living conditions, his well being and his schooling until he is of age," Rupert said sharply as his eyes went to Vernon who was turning purple but he held his tongue at the look in Rupert's eyes. "If I find anything out of place here Mr. Dursley, you and your wife will find yourself held in police custody and young Mr. Dursley will be in our care until this is straightened out, am I clear?"

Petunia gripped her husband's arm willing him to hold his tongue; the news of them in jail would ruin her socially, but to lose her son? The man was waiting for Vernon to explode at him and get them in more trouble. "Of course," Vernon finally got out and Petunia relaxed a little.

"Then be seated and any questions we have you will answer," he told them motioning Dudley to sit by them as he himself went to see the house.

Rupert came up to Jenny on the second floor who was staring at a door with several locks on the outside and a cat flap at the bottom with hard eyes. "Look in there," she said pointing behind her with her thumb surprising him but he did. Rupert saw a large room with everything a spoiled brat could want. They knew it was Dudley's room.

Rupert came back and opened the locked door to the other room and his heart clenched at the sight. It was a young man's room, with a few posters, a twin bed, wardrobe, desk and chair but the glaring differences of this to the other teens room was outrageous. There was one window with bars over it and his face was strained at the 'prison' Harry's room had turned out to be. "Take pictures, be calm, he won't be coming back here," he told her.

"Damn right! I'm going to kill that fat bastard," Jenny fumed as she took pictures. She looked around and found a few things that looked personal to Harry and she held her tears in as she put them in her bag to give to him later.

"Check the cupboard like Sirius mentioned," Rupert told her as he left.

He came down resuming his seat again, his eyes were hard. He took out a paper form from his file folder and put it on the table with a pen. "You will sign this giving up all rights to Mr. Potter," he told them with a snap in his voice that he would brook no argument about it; they knew that he knew just what crappy guardians they were.

They signed it, if they hadn't been so worried about their future they might have realized that the government could just take their rights away, no need for a form to be signed. Also, as they didn't read it they didn't realize that the forms were giving Jenny those rights. Rupert had them sign two more forms before he continued on. "I have photographs of Mr. Potter's room and your son's… a full investigation will start with the whereabouts of Mr. Potter since you are unable to produce him."

"He's at school!" Vernon yelled at him. "The bloody freak is away from us!"

He went to stand up but the end of the file in Rupert's hand was pushed into his chest firmly enough to not let him get leverage to stand. "Do you hear yourself man?" Rupert growled at him. "You lock a boy in a room, you clothe him in rags and you starve him?" The three Dursley's now looked very scared. Rupert calmed himself just a bit. "I must amend myself, you are no man, you are a vile thing to mistreat a child, yours or not, you and your wife will be remanded to county custody while I find Mr. Potter. Your son will be taken to a facility until you are deemed fit parents."

Vernon was completely purple in face at this point. "See here!" he said.

"I warn you," Rupert said darkly. "Another word, another action, anything, and you will spend the rest of your life in prison for the disappearance and most likely the murder of a juvenile."

Vernon went from purple to white as he sat there realizing that they could actually do it; he couldn't get Harry back to prove he was alive and well until school was over with! Rupert saw Jenny headed their way with fury in her eyes. Rupert intercepted her before she made it to the sofa by grabbing a hold of her upper arm leading her into the kitchen. "The cupboard!" she hissed to him. "My god Rupert, I will tear them apart!"

He cupped her face and kissed her. "Calm down," he told her. "Do not do anything!"

Jenny moved away from him but stayed there as he went and looked under the stairs in the cupboard. His heart stilled seeing that while there were a few boxes stored in a space no child could stand or move much in there. Rupert thought that Sirius and Remus were mistaken until his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hole he noticed there were a few crayon drawings on the walls from a child and the signs of wear and tear that areas had been rested against and worn the paint off as if someone had lived there. How in the hell was Harry even sane enough to be a somewhat normal child like Remus and Sirius talked about? When he stood up Rupert wasn't there, he turned to see three pairs of eyes looking at him from the living room and they saw the man known as Ripper.

With long strides he came in and grabbed Vernon by the tie and with strength belying his lean stature lifted the man to stand up and force marched him over to the cupboard yanking him over to look inside as the man went purple, this time by lack of air from the tie choking him. "You sir, are filth!" Rupert hissed at him. "Dante's ninth level could not hold someone like you!" He slammed the man's head into the wall and knocked him out.

"Vernon!" Petunia said as Rupert looked her way. Dudley had gotten up to defend his father but seeing the fury of the man who just manhandled his father with ease he wet himself and hid behind his mother.

"Both of you monsters!" Rupert bit out at her. Jenny came out of the kitchen and kicked Vernon in the crotch waking the man to a semi conscious state to cry out with a moan.

"She's mine," Jenny told Rupert forebodingly. "And then the one who put him here is next."

**- Interlude, The End of the Dursleys -**

_**Surrey Juvenile Detention Home, two days later…**_

Dudley Dursley looked out of the window of the old building almost in a trance like state. The police had come and before he knew it his parents were in one car and he in another. For the moment they didn't know how long he was going to be there as there would be an investigation into the disappearance of Harry Potter. Dudley told the officer that Harry was fine and in a magic boarding school. He whined, complained, and had a tantrum over it all.

Unfortunately for Dudley, the police had enough evidence on him from his school and the neighborhood about his fighting and stealing that he had ended up here instead of foster care.

After the tantrum they put him on some prescription to calm him down. The kids laughed at him calling him a whale and they stole most of his food at mealtimes and beat him up. The clothes they had given him to wear were second hand from the goodwill which was bad enough, however, all that fit him were old men's clothing that smelled like cabbage, urine and moth balls.

He wanted to see his Aunt Marge, she would take him in.

She did so, for which Dudley was grateful. He had been there two weeks when she started a list of things for him to do. And everything he did was wrong. He ran away when he turned sixteen.

He went to the police wanting to see his parents. Dudley was confused to find out they had been listed as dead trying to escape police custody six months previously, Harry Potter had been found and with a new guardian, but he had filed child abuse, the two had been headed to a few years sentence, too bad they tried to run.

Dejected, Dudley went back to Privet Drive to find a new family lived in his old home and everything had been sold in an estate sale, the funds directed to debts owed and their burial plots. The problem Dudley had now was because of his nasty nature no one came to console him or even offer to help him. His friends formed a new group without him and the new bully beat him soundly until Dudley moved on and found a job at a petrol station and a room in a hostel. No games, no big dinners made by his mum, no telly and crisps and just lazing about with nothing to do but beat on his freak of a cousin - deep in Dudley's mind he knew his crappy life was Harry's fault.

_**Somewhere deep in a cave somewhere on Earth…**_

"You listen to me!" Vernon Dursley yelled from where he was chained to a wall, he had bruises and his body and crotch hurt. There were others around but most of them were little creatures like something from the freak boy's world. "I'm a human, I'm British and I demand my rights!"

He had woken up after the slam into the wall to the Child Services man and the freak boy's godfather, the mass murderer - something Black, he couldn't remember his name, standing over him. Petunia was huddled on the floor with a black eye and cradling her arm with the assistant woman near her. She looked just as vicious as the scary Child Services chap. Vernon admitted in his mind he had been a bully most of his life with his stature, but this man was a bigger fish than he.

"_There's a better way," Black told the scary man. _

"_As long as they get their due," scary man replied._

"_And so they shall," Black answered._

He remembered no more until he had woken up again in this hellhole place. It was underground with others, not all human, who were forced to work by digging with shovel and pickaxe. He was in his pants and shirt which were now filthy.

"You fat human, you work! You were sold to us, you and bird neck woman!" the little creature said.

"I'm a free man you ugly freak!" he told him as he picked up the shovel nearby and swung it at the creature. The creature grinned avoiding it easily and Vernon almost wet himself seeing sharp teeth.

"You were sold to us for a small price, work them, they say. You will work!" With that Vernon felt the lash of a whip on his back and he went to his knees from the pain. "Mr. Black said a belt would be best on you fat human." He felt the lash again and again.

He learned over time to shut his mouth. As the months passed Vernon lost all of his excess weight and then some as he was enslaved there by what he learned were goblins. Unfortunately goblins didn't feel the need to feed their slaves much.

**Eleven Years Later…**

Vernon Dursley looked up from his cell, emaciated, tired, and looking like he was in his eighties rather than his fifties. He was surprised to see an old scarecrow looking woman put in his cell. He was never given a woman companion, the goblins couldn't stand him. It took him a moment to realize it was Petunia, he hadn't seen her since that day he was put here and she looked horrible. She went towards him with tears in her eyes, but they couldn't reach each other with the chains about their necks so they sat on the ground as close as they could to each other when goblin guards and a well dressed human couple came down the cell corridor. They were motioned to the Dursley's cell.

The young man was in his mid twenties, he was handsome with a shock of unruly black hair and bright green eyes, glasses gone he looked like his father meaning he could only be Harry Potter. Petunia couldn't help but stare at the young woman, the same age as Harry with long red hair that looked like Petunia's sister Lily with a few variances.

"Hello Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia," Harry said, his voice was deep and strong; he had grown up well and filled out. "This is my sister, Willow, my twin actually."

Petunia could say nothing as she just started at Willow in shock. Willow looked concerned at the staring. "What do you want?" Vernon asked.

"In three months you will have endured the amount of time in here as I did living with you before I went to Hogwarts," he told them. "To the country and the world, the Dursley's died trying to escape custody from the police. Dudley ran away from living with Aunt Marge a few months after being with her and at the moment he works as a petrol attendant."

"If you want, when the three months are up I will give you enough money, clothes and a place to stay for a month with new credentials and you can figure your lives out. Try to reclaim the Dursley name and you'll find yourself in police custody," Harry said.

"You ruined us boy," Vernon told him.

"And you almost did to me," Harry replied with an angry tone rising in his voice as Willow slid an arm about his waist, he was a bit taller than her and he calmed down. "Luckily I had people to get me free of you and those who wanted to control me."

"And you," Vernon said looking to Willow. "Are you one of them too?"

Willow smiled as she began to glow with pure magic. "Proudly. You should be glad Harry can be so kind," she said and they noticed her accent was American with a bit of Irish brogue mixed in. "I saw the pictures of what he had to endure." She hugged Harry tightly and he smiled and held her close. "I would have thrown away the key," she informed them.

Harry kissed the top of her head. "No you wouldn't."

"Would so," Willow said back in a huff.

Harry shook his head with a fond smile and looked to them. "The guards will come that day, you have the choice."

They turned to leave when Petunia spoke up. "I'm sorry," she got out. The two looked her way. "I- I'm sorry."

The two left and soon Petunia was taken to another place in the dungeons. Three months later Vernon saw her again. Time had come. Four guards along with an older gentleman came to their cell. They looked in fear to see the man claiming to be from Child Services there once again. They would never forget him. He looked a little older and had a scar on his face that only made him look more handsome, more deadly.

He cleaned his glasses as he looked to them. "As the damage was done to Mr. Potter, it was his choice if you should be freed. Personally, his mother and I disagree with him." He put his glasses back on.

"His mother?" Petunia asked.

The man nodded. "The papers you signed eleven years ago were to the woman who soundly pummeled you and adopted him not much later to be the mother he needed. The other forms were breaking any legal ties between yourselves and Harry and Willow. Their parents were quite wealthy when they died."

The cell door was opened. "I suggest you don't mention your relation to Mr. Potter as his biography came out and anyone named Vernon and Petunia Dursley would be cursed on sight." He handed over a folder of papers and money. "New clothes will be given to you after you shower. You will be left by a motel paid for up a month. Do not go looking for your son. Good riddance to you both and I hope your last thoughts are about how you should have treated your nephew well and how your lives would have been so much better."

He was gone and it wasn't much later for the first time in years Vernon was clean and in new clothes standing with Petunia outside a ratty looking motel. Their ID claimed them to be Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius and Dolores Crouch.

It took a year for them to get in shape enough to find Dudley. They watched their son, now in his late twenties, was severely overweight in a t-shirt and work shirt as he sat by a desk in the station office watching a small TV while eating a packet of crisps and not doing much of anything.

The two went into the small office area smiling at him. Dudley looked them over with a sneer. "What the fuck do you want?" he asked.

"Dudley," Petunia said softly. "It's mummy."

Dudley looked them over with a scowl. "You got some kinda mental problem?" he asked standing up. "Fink it's funny talkin' like you me mum?" He was yelling now.

"Don't you talk to her that way!" Vernon got out. "We spent eleven years in hell!"

"Well join the club, gramps!" he yelled back. "You ain't my folks!"

"We gave you a computer for your fourteenth birthday, Dudders," Petunia told him. "I made you lovely mince pies and chips for tea."

"Took you to the zoo for your eleventh birthday with your freaky cousin," Vernon replied.

"Harry Potter," Dudley got out angrily.

There was a flash of light and two aurors apparated there to see them. "Obliviate!" one auror said pointing her wand at Dudley as the other auror apparated the other two out of the petrol station.

Dudley looked around for a moment as the other auror had left the same way wondering why he was standing there. "What the fuck," he muttered as he went back to his chair while the bell for an attendant outside went ignored as usual.

Vernon and Petunia found themselves in a room with a table and chairs. It was all black and the walls were eerily smooth, there was a door but they had no chance to try it out as in came a pretty woman with plated brown hair and deep brown eyes. She held a file in her hands and she glanced over them a few times then sighed. "Better me than Harry I suppose," she got out.

"You know him? Harry Potter?" Petunia asked.

"Where are we? What did you do with our son?" Vernon demanded.

"I do know him; you are in the Ministry of Magic in a holding room. Your son," she answered them in order while looking to the file, "had all memory of you coming to him removed."

"You can't do this!" Vernon told her.

"You were released on the condition you didn't contact your son or use your old names," the woman replied. "It was in the papers you were given on release. I should know, I wrote them. I represent Mr. Harry Potter as his solicitor. You now have three choices before you," she told them firmly and the Dursley's were silent. They learned a little after eleven years of slavery. "One, you can return to the goblins for the remainder of your lives if you try to contact your son again. Two, you can be relocated somewhere else in the world on the compromise you will never contact your son again. Three, you can be obliviated as well and finish your lives with new identities."

She looked to them as they watched her. "That means your memories removed. All of them, your entire lives," she clarified for them.

"Just who do you think you are?" Vernon asked.

The woman smiled with a wicked gleam in her eye. "I'm Mrs. Harry Potter," she replied. "I manage his and his sister Willow's accounts and affairs as two of the wealthiest people in the wizarding and muggle world. Would you like to see pictures of our children?" she asked.

Cornelius Crouch woke up in Quebec, Canada feeling all of his sixty years. He looked to his wife Dolores of forty years still sleeping. She had been sick for years, sadly she had never been able to give them a family and she was too ill for them to adopt. He sighed as he got up, his had five years before retiring and he found his creaky old joints played havoc in the stormy weather there. He looked in the mirror. Was he getting fat? With a shake of his head he decided to go on a diet.

**- End Interlude -**

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**Half an hour later, Diagon Alley…**

The three teens were once again dazed as they followed behind Mrs. Lupin looking to the stores and shops so much older and ancient than the ones in California's wizarding mall. She had shown them that most wizarding homes had a fireplace which meant a floo and soon enough, all four were in Diagon Alley. Willow wanted to floo to Hogwarts, but Mrs. Lupin told them that flooing there was highly restricted. So far the three teens had agreed privately that this private schooling was crap, it was like a prison in some ways. She fussed over Willow for a moment before they left the house magically changing her features to look more like Buffy and then they were off.

"I feel like I'm in Disneyland," Willow whispered to her friends. "In a Charles Dickens kind of way, but with no rides."

"Who's Charles Dickens?" Xander asked and Willow shook her head.

They soon noticed that they were the only ones in muggle clothing and a few looked twice at the teens only to see they were with an elder witch in full witch robes and left them alone. They followed Mrs. Lupin until she stopped in front of a tea shop. Mrs. Lupin smiled as she handed them each a gold coin. "Don't spend it all in one place and come back here in an hour," she told them. She kissed their cheeks like a doting grandmother and headed inside.

They looked at the coins. "It's that gallon stuff again," Xander replied wiping grandma mouth off his face as he saw the wizard on one side and a dragon creature on the other of the coin. "How much is it worth?"

Willow and Buffy looked to each other and Buffy shrugged. "I guess we'll find out." She linked her arm in Willow's and headed down one of the alleys with Xander following behind.

"You don't think Jenny and Giles are going to kill us, do you?" Willow asked as they passed a place that sold things like rat tails and eel eyes it was called 'Apothecary', and the place looked creepy and old.

"Probably," Buffy replied about the adults but grinned. "But godgrandma brought us, so not our fault."

Xander nodded grinning as well. "And you have your powers with no big brother."

Willow smiled at that. "Do we know it worked?" Buffy asked.

Willow nodded. "I feel – different." She bit her bottom lip, looking to her friends. "Now that I'm thinking clearly, I think… I think it affected more than me."

Buffy and Xander looked curiously her way and she fidgeted in their gaze. "Willow," Buffy asked as she pulled them to the side of where shoppers passed by. "What else do you think this – affected?"

Willow shrugged looking anxious. "I'm not sure. Maybe-," she started only to look away from them then glanced back. "Maybe Harry?"

"You're not sure?" Buffy got out softly.

Willow gave a bigger shrug this time. "I'm not sure!" she exclaimed. "I-I – it just- just feels like it did!" Xander clapped his hand over his eyes. "And maybe someone else," Willow admitted. Both friends looked concerned now.

"Willow," Buffy whispered worriedly. "Who?"

Willow looked to anything but her friends. "I think- maybe my soulmate," she murmured. The two looked her way and she shrugged softly as her face reddened. "Like Lorne said. I think it's her."

"Is she hot?" Xander asked and Buffy smacked his arm. "Ow, Buff!"

"So not the time right now! How would she know what she looks like anyway?" Buffy muttered to him. She focused on Willow. "Well, we can't do anything about it. So we'll just have to assume they're with the good."

The two surrounded Willow and with an arm each about her they headed further down the street. "I bet she's hot," Xander softly sang teasingly at Willow and both girls hit him that time.

**Muircross, Ireland…**

It was mid-morning and the day was clear with soft clouds over the fields around the village. By the main house of Clan McClay, Tara rested her arms against the top of the stone wall behind it, watching the sheep and horses out in the fields. She had been home schooled for a while now and while it was nice that she was no longer around Professor Umbridge and many of the Slytherins, she missed Ginny and the other Hufflepuffs, even the older students, like Harry, Hermione and the twins.

She swallowed as she felt something different in her. Last night she had a wild dream of fire and darkness and people fighting, even creatures from her school books and horror films she had seen when she was in the muggle world. When she woke up she was-, she felt both lighter and something of importance resting on her. Thing was, she didn't know what.

An arm wrapped around her shoulders and her mother Kathleen kissed the top of her head. "What we thinkin' about?" Kathleen asked her softly. Tara shrugged slightly and Kathleen rubbed her back. "Maybe you can go to Hogwarts next year."

"If Umbridge isn't there," Tara said knowing that her mother and grandmother did not like the toady witch.

Kathleen nodded. "I feel she will not," she told her as she kissed her head once more. "Rory will be by soon to take you to school, are you ready?"

Tara nodded. School there was nothing like Hogwarts. The McClay's, Flynn's, and Lyons' clans joined together and it was families that taught their children. Rory McClay taught dueling and defense while his wife Amelia taught both wizard and muggle studies being a muggleborn witch herself. Tara enjoyed it, she was accepted and the adults taught them to be the best they could, no grades and if they were lacking they brought in more of the clan to help. Her stuttering was almost gone.

She had wondered to herself sometimes if Harry wouldn't do better in a place like this. She knew Dumbledore made him go back to his blood tie, but they hated him. They knew, her and Harry, enough through glances that both had been hurt and abused by ones that were supposed to love them.

Kathleen looked to her daughter still in some kind of thought and with a hug left her there. Tara closed her eyes as one of the horses came her way and she smiled as it nipped at her cheeks and nose.

"Tara!" she could hear her cousin River call out to her from the front of the house. "Da's waitin'!"

Tara had just a small smile on her lips as she headed inside to get her book bag wondering what the day would bring.

**Back at Diagon Alley…**

The Sunnydalian trio moved on further to see a travel agency called 'Terrortours'. "Live in a haunted Transylvanian Castle with a guaranteed vampire host," Willow read out loud to her friends from the advertisement in the window.

"Sounds like a vacation to Sunnyhell," Xander replied. "And you wouldn't have to hunt, they live there with you Buff," he said to his friend. "You could stake them after tea."

"There is the zombie trail," Willow said pointing to the next line down. "Meet the undead and everything. No money back if you die or get hurt though."

Buffy shook her head. "We should start one in Sunnydale," Xander told them as they continued on their tour of the Alley. They found an Owl Emporium. A black one was on display in the window sleeping with its head under its wing.

"Says this one is 50 G, so G is probably a galleon. So fifty galleons for – an owl," Willow told them. "They're nifty, but why would you want one?"

The two friends shrugged and they all continued their tour. "No owls for us anyway, unless they'll take regular money," Xander replied. He smiled at one sign. "There we go!" he said and headed on in. The sign read, 'Gambol & Japes joke items'.

"I hope he doesn't forget what happened to him last time he tried a practical joke," Buffy muttered as she followed him in dragging Willow along with her.

The two watched as Xander looked at everything, sort of like a crazed lunatic, the two girls just watched in awe as he giggled over weird things. "Look at this!" Xander said pulling some box of something off a shelf. "It makes a person vomit, you put this stuff in their drink-," he was grinning. "We could have done this to Snyder!" he said seriously.

"Who and or what-," a male voice said from the next aisle.

"-is a Snyder?" another almost same sounding voice asked.

The three looked up to see two redheaded guys with the exact same faces that were around their age looking their way over the top of the shelves, both sets of eyes drawn to the girls. Before they knew it the two were flanking Willow and Buffy, both of them a quite tall and smiling roguishly at the two.

"Hello," said one by Willow. "I'm Fred. And this ugly git would be my brother George."

"Ugly? I happen to be the handsome one," George told them as he smiled at Buffy. "By chance would the two of you be twins?" he asked.

Willow and Buffy looked to each other. Willow did look a lot like her friend from Mrs. Lupin's spell. "No?" Fred asked when they didn't answer. "Sisters even?" He motioned to Xander. "A dashing beau-."

"- a brother," George continued. "Hopefully?"

"Sisters actually," Buffy said playing along as she put her arm about Willow. "And Xander is our brother."

"Americans!" the twins said together happily before they manfully shook a hand each of Xander's who was warily looking at them. "So lucky you are good sir-," George told him.

"-to be related to two lovely women," Fred finished.

Xander smiled. "So I am, and in a brotherly fashion will kill you if either of them are in anyway hurt," he warned them.

They grinned together. "Understood," they told him together.

"However, our lovely sister Will-hemina here," Xander said changing Willow's name on the fly remembering his friend was wanted in this world. "Is interested in the ladies."

The twins looked to them and Willow slightly raised her hand to see which one he was talking about as both girls gave Xander a look at the name 'Wilhemina'. The twins each took one of Willow's hands and kissed it then looked to Buffy who shook her head. "I'm not available right now," she told them.

"But you do fancy men, yes?" George said.

Buffy nodded and they grinned. "And your name fair maiden?" Fred asked taking her left hand as George took her right.

"Buffy," Buffy told them finding it odd and slightly amusing at all of this as Willow sidled up to Xander.

"Buffy," George said rolling her name around on his tongue. "It has possibilities."

Buffy slid her hands away from them. "Not available."

Xander came up to them as Buffy looked uncomfortable. It hadn't been THAT long since Angel and sending him to hell. "Tell me my good lads," he said as the two young men looked his way. "What in here, can I get for this?" Xander held up a galleon.

Fred and George looked at it, then him curiously. "In here, this and that," George said putting his arm around Xander's shoulder as Fred came to the other side as they looked around to see where the shop keep was before they leaned in.

"We happen to be in the process of opening our own shop," Fred whispered.

"Much like this establishment," George continued. "How would you like to try some of our products?" He winked at Buffy. "A mere token for the brother of such lovely ladies."

"We-, we do have regular money," Willow told them.

"Muggle money?" Fred said moving the group out of the store as the shop keep came their way. He saw the money she was carrying was unlike British muggle money, it was all green.

"You muggleborn then?" George asked quietly.

"Um, no?" Willow said sort of as a question and the two looked at them more closely.

"There's Gringotts up at the top of the alley, just before the Leaky Cauldron," Fred told them. "They will change muggle money for wizarding."

"We can show you the way," George replied looking Buffy's way raising an eyebrow, Buffy shook her head firmly.

"No thanks," she told them. "Top of the block, got it."

"Just-," George started as he stopped them from leaving, "don't go around saying you're muggleborn. Times are dangerous and we wouldn't want anything-."

"-to happen to any of you," Fred finished with a bow to Buffy. "Especially you, Lady Buffy."

George followed; the bows were very courtly, from two court jesters. Xander and Willow were grinning as Buffy almost smiled. "Thanks," she said grabbing her friend's hands and pulled them down the alley away from the two strange English boys that actually made her feel warm inside since, well, Angel.

"Muggleborn and lovely," Fred said as they watched them leave. "A different kind of witch."

George nodded. "The game for Lady Buffy is afoot." The two grinned and headed off to meet with the estate agent for a shop.

The banter had been light between the Californians as they headed down the alley. Mostly the two teasing Buffy gently. "You could have two, Buffy," Xander was telling her. "Like stereo."

Buffy shook her head. "I'm not ready. Not that they weren't cute, but no."

Willow and Xander looked to each other worriedly about their friend as they continued on until they reached the biggest building in the shopping area. They hadn't seen it as they had come through the floo. The three stood in front of the oddest building they'd ever seen. It was all lopsided but appeared to stay upright.

Xander's head naturally tilted as he started at it. "How is it standing?" he asked.

"Oddly," Buffy commented honestly and the two nodded in agreement. They made it to the front doors only to stop at seeing non-human creatures apparently running the place. The place was creepy old to start with like the rest of the Alley, but down the two rows of service counters there were creatures, short like the house elves, but they had pale human toned skin but looked a sight nastier. The three teens instantly were on their guard. Willow and Xander flanking Buffy who was in the lead.

"Well, they aren't killing, eating or sacrificing anyone," Xander muttered under his breath. The three watched and the creatures, all of them, watched them in return.

"An axe would be good right now," Buffy said under her breath. She felt her slayer sense tingle. Not like it was bad, but that if things went ugly, she was going to be in for the fight of her life. "Anything sharp," she got out.

Two of the creatures came forward from the side where there were doors, probably offices. At this all of the humans watched in surprise. There was a bit of talk amongst them as the two creatures bowed to the teenagers. "You must come with us," one said pointing to Buffy.

"Not for killing or maiming, right?" Xander asked. The two looked his way and he slid a little behind Buffy. Tiny they were compared to him, but so were piranha and they had the same kind of feel.

"We're here to exchange money," Willow got out nervously. "Not any trouble."

They looked her way this time and she clasped Buffy's hand as the creature replied. "All may come as clients, but it is our policy to do business with a champion in private."

The three blinked at this and Buffy shrugged, she was surprised as well. "Me, you mean me?" she asked in surprise pointing to herself. He nodded and turned to walk back the way he came and the three stepped in line and followed him. "How come every time I go into a place people know I'm the Slayer?" she whispered to her friends. "Do I have a sign?"

"You're just special," Xander told her with a smile. "And people notice special." The girls rolled their eyes at that.

"This is a magic area, they probably have wards up about customers," Willow informed them.

"Sure, be logical," Xander said with a pouty frown. "I think you're special," he whispered to Buffy. The- creatures all looked at them like they were insane which in turn made the teens smile.

Once through the back doors they were led down to an office where an older creature was sitting at a desk.

He stood and bowed. "Champion, we have not seen one in many years," the creature said. "Gringotts is always pleased to have one enter our doors."

He motioned to the seats in front of the desk and the teens slid into them, Buffy in the center seat. "I am Gorthok, director of client services here," he told her as he sat behind his desk again. "How may I help you today?"

Buffy looked pleased and stumped at the same time. "Totally new to Diagonal Alley," she told him.

"Diagon," Willow instantly corrected.

"What are you?" Xander asked totally mystified by now, knowing they weren't going to kill or eat him he was curious.

The goblin looked him over then to Buffy again. "You don't know of us? The goblin race?" Gorthok asked.

The three shook their heads. "Never heard of you," Buffy replied, relaxing a little. "Sorry."

Gorthok wrote something down on paper. "What is your calling Champion?" he asked.

Buffy made a face, trying to decide if she trusted him or not if he didn't know exactly who she was. "That depends on if you have any dealings with the Watcher's Council," she told him.

Gorthok nodded as he noted something else on his paper. "The Shadowmen, no, we do not, Slayer," he told her. It was silent as he looked up from his notes. "Demon blood we may have, but we are more of Fey descent as the generations of goblins have gone by," he told them. "The Shadowmen would have you kill us. If you desire no association with them, then the Goblins are content."

"Shadowmen?" Buffy asked looking to Willow who was the closest Encyclopedia she had.

Willow shook her head. "No idea," she whispered.

"There was talk over the past few months of a rebel slayer," Gorthok told them. "But there is one guarding the current Hellmouth."

Buffy's eyes went sad but determined. "Kendra's replacement."

Willow held her hand as Gorthok nodded solemnly, apparently the goblin's actually valued champions. "We have desired to be cordial with the Shadowmen, but to them we are a species they have told the Slayer to destroy," Gorthok replied.

Xander shrugged a little. "Are you evil?"

"No more evil than any human," Gorthok told him.

"Undead? Going to turn the human race into vampires, demons, zombies? Destroy and or take over the world?" Xander asked all of these quickly to the goblin.

Gorthok looked at him more carefully now, no human child would normally ask such a thing. This boy was more than met to the eye. "No. While we are a fighting species we see honor, wealth and the chance for battle."

He watched as Buffy watched him back, the eyes of a Champion and a predator one at that whose sole purpose it was to kill evil seemed to look into his soul, she seemed to understand that while they were not a passive race, they were not evil either, just different. Finally she nodded with a look that if they ever changed their minds about any of Xander's questions, she would take issue with the goblins. Then in a blink her eyes changed back to just your ordinary young woman and Gorthok was impressed, this Slayer was not to be trifled with.

"Good enough for me," Buffy told him. "Personally speaking, I'd be more than happy to have friends like you."

Gorthok nodded at this seeing the three were now content in his presence, strange little human children. "You befriend a witch, one with muggle upbringing," he told Buffy as he nodded to Willow. "You are born of muggles, young witch?" he asked Willow.

Willow shrugged. "I'm not sure, I- I was adopted."

Gorthok made a displeased noise at that. Goblins did no such thing. "Do you know your lineage?"

"She knows who her parents are, but it seems like there's some war with some evil man, a Molden-a-va-mort, or something like that," Buffy told him.

"I know of whom you speak. The Ministry does not believe Voldemort has returned," Gorthok told them seriously.

"He has," Willow replied looking a little pale, remembering having lived through Harry's time with him in the graveyard last year. "I saw him."

Gorthok looked at her more acutely now. "The only one to truly claim this is a Hogwarts student. Harry Potter."

Willow nodded. "He's my brother."

There was tense silence in the room for a long moment until Gorthok made some motion with his hand and said a few words they didn't understand and the illusion spell was broken to reveal Willow's true form. The three were impressed.

"So you're a wizard too?" Willow asked and the goblin smiled a little.

"You were not raised in the wizarding world if you say that," he told her. "Wizards look down all who are not of their kind. Even then on those who were not born into a family with many generations of witch and wizard. Goblins have their own magic, as do the house elves."

Willow looked disappointed that her 'world' as it were, were bigots. "Lovely," she muttered.

Gorthok continued on. "If you were of adult age the spell about you would have broken once you came through the bank's wards," Gorthok told them. "As a child, goblins do believe in protecting the young, even humans." He looked closely at Willow. "You claim to be the sister to Mr. Potter, yet it is known he is an only child."

Willow shrugged. "Everyone always has secrets," she said.

Gorthok nodded solemnly. "So they do young witch, your name then."

"Willow Rosenberg," she told him.

"Willow Potter if it is official for this bank," he said as he pressed a button on his desk and a young goblin came in and they spoke in a language the teens didn't understand and the young goblin left only to return a moment later with an ornate box around the size of a small square shoe box. Setting it on the desk he bowed to his superior and left.

Gorthok motioned them closer as he opened the box. Inside was a small dagger that was so finely made Buffy wanted a closer look at it. Below it was a pure white stone tablet with a rune carved in to the center inlaid with gold and various colored gems.

"What is it?" Xander asked, all three teens were looking at it curiously.

"A progeny stone," Gorthok told him. "It will trace back your blood ancestors."

He took up the blade and motioned for Willow's hand. She gave it and he lanced her thumb lightly pressing it to the rune. Instantly sparks of glowing magic laced and danced around the stone making the gems glow and the gold light up as a golden beam shot up above the stone into the air above it forming lines as names wrote themselves out drawing Willow's pedigree in front of them. Here and there bright ones lit up and upward and out going back so many generations that it went until they couldn't see the names anymore. Most of them on one side were pure white; on the other many were green, a few orange or black.

"What does that mean?" Willow asked as she got her hand back and she sucked the little bit of blood welling there off her thumb. There just above her name of Willow Lily Potter were James Charles Potter and Lily Evans Potter. She sat down hard in her chair. "It's really them," she said faintly. "I'm- I'm really a Potter."

Her friends sat by her as they looked to the names.

"Those in white are mages, or as they call themselves now wizards and witches," Gorthok told him as he tapped on one and it enlarged. "This is Sir Geoffrey Titus Potter, Knight of the Round Table and one of the first to start the wizarding world so that they were no longer tormented or slain by muggles," he told her. He tapped on a green one in her mother's line. "This is Madga Thiera, Grecian and a powerful Earth Witch."

"But not wizarding?" Willow asked.

Gorthok smirked. "Earth Magic is how those called Fey and their descendants use magic," he told them. "The wizards now, believe they are the only ones. Your mother's line comes closer to our own and with it the ability to use a wand."

Buffy motioned to Willow's name and Gorthok tapped it. There it flashed white, green and black. Gorthok looked her way. "There is more to you than it seems, Miss Potter."

Xander nodded sagely. "She's a girl," he told the goblin totally missing the point.

The two girls glared his way and for the first time Gorthok laughed.

The meeting didn't last much longer. It seemed something made Gorthok upset. With her now added to the House of Potter registry, documents could be made known. Most of them sealed until she was of age, which was a few months away or unless a parent or guardian came in to take care of it. No, what made him upset was that her parents will was still sealed.

"I don't understand," Willow said following the mad goblin down a hallway, "why is this bad?"

"It should have been opened upon your parents' death," he stopped at a doorway and motioned for them to stay there. They looked inside before the door closed to see it was a warehouse sized room with aisles of drawers and papers and so on.

Willow leaned against the wall rubbing her forehead in pain. "Anything wrong Will?" Buffy asked.

Willow shook her head. "Just a headache-, wow," she murmured as she found a seat and rested for a moment. She was doing a little better as Gorthok returned shortly with a stack of files and headed off down the hallway again.

"Never a dull moment with you Will," Xander said as they tried to keep up with the goblin while watching over Willow as they brought her along.

Soon they found themselves in another office with an even older looking goblin and Gorthok and the old goblin were looking through the files talking in their strange language again. Gorthok looked Willow's way. "We need both you and Mr. Potter here for the reading," he told her. "Apparently Mr. Potter would have been enough."

"I thought he was like one year old when your parents died," Xander replied to Willow.

"In that event one of the following had to be present," Gorthok told him. "Mr. Sirius Black, Mr. Remus Lupin, Mr. Peter Pettigrew, Miss Patricia Fewthistle, Miss Minerva McGonagall or Miss Olivia Trenton.

"We know two of them," Willow said blinking back the pain in her head.

"Three," Buffy informed her.

Willow nodded as she frowned at one of the names. "We know of a third one, but we never met him," she amended.

"And he's evil," Xander finished. The two girls nodded in agreement at that. They had bets out on who would get their hands around the neck of Peter Pettigrew first.

"Regardless, you will need to bring Mr. Potter in," Gorthok told her. Willow nodded and they stood, nothing more could be done until one of those people were brought in.

"So… can we get some wizard gold for greenbacks?" Xander asked as he held up a twenty dollar bill. The original reason they came in.

Gorthok nodded. "Of course."

They left the bank close to eleven in the morning with pockets of wizarding money only to see Tonks scouting about and once spotting them she headed in their direction looking relieved. "Merlin!" she said as she took off her cloak and wrapped it around Willow to hide her features as she looked around to see if anyone spotted her since she now looked herself instead of Buffy's twin. "Remus and Jenny are having a fit!" she whispered. "How did you get here?"

The group shrugged trying to think of what to tell her as Remus came marching along looking furious with his mother in tow. He looked at them and then hugged Willow to him tightly pale at the thought of losing Willow again.

"Crap," Xander muttered under his breath knowing this wasn't good.

**Same Time at Hogwarts...**

Harry was exhausted but just couldn't sleep the night before and he had his last exam in History of Magic. After three hours of sleep his head felt like a block of cement and he tried to go over Hermione's three and half feet of notes but as he sat in the classroom to take the test he mostly stared at Parvati's hair where she sat in the row in front of him. Part of him wishing he could just see into her mind and get the answers.

'_Think!'_ he demanded of himself to do so he could get this done and not fail. His face buried in his hands as the sands of the exam hourglass trickled by and the scratch of quills on parchment filled his ears…

_He walked along the corridors, dark and cool in the Department of Mysteries he found himself at the black door that opened for him and into the circular room with many doors… he found himself through the second door with the sounds of mechanical clicking – he had to hurry – running, jogging to the third door that swung open for him too. He was in the cathedral sized room with rows and rows of shelves all filled with glass spheres… he ran faster now, he had to get there – row ninety-seven he turned left and hurried down the aisle and there one glowed, and again another further down the aisle, he stopped to see a black shape crawling along the floor like a wounded animal in front of him. _

"_Take it," Harry heard himself say, "and hand it to me… I cannot touch it, but you can."_

_The sound of his voice chilled Harry, it was cold and void of any kindness. The black shape shifted and he saw a skeletal looking white hand on the end of his arm with a wand in his fingers. "Crucio!" he said and the figure writhed on the ground in intense pain. Harry felt himself laughing at this. "Lord Voldemort is waiting," he told him and Harry realized just who's eyes he was seeing this through._

_The figure slowly stood up and Harry saw who it was for the first time. Sirius, his face was bloodstained and in pain. "You'll have to kill me," Sirius told him defiantly. _

_Harry felt himself smirk at this and behind Sirius Harry said saw a masked Death Eater pull a struggling Willow forward. He had memorized her face from before in his dreams. That and she was blurry looking like he just couldn't see her clearly. But he was scared, did Voldemort really have her? _

"_You will fetch it for me Black, or she will suffer," Harry told him. Willow already looked like she had been hurt many times and Black looked her way then back to Harry. _

"_Just leave her be and I'll do it," Sirius replied. _

"_Of course," Harry told him. But they both knew that he wouldn't. Harry felt a smirk again. He flicked his wand at Willow. "Crucio!"_

Harry heard his sister scream as the spell hit her and somebody yelled and Harry awoke as he hit the ground holding his forehead, his scar on fire as the Great Hall erupted around him.

Harry woke up a bit later to find Hermione and Ron by him in the hospital wing.

"You gave us a fright, mate," Ron told him.

Harry looked around to see that Madame Pomfrey wasn't around right then. "It was Voldemort," he said quietly. Ron winced at the name and Hermione made a face. "He has Sirius and Willow."

Ron sat up at that while Hermione frowned. "How can you know that?" Hermione asked.

"I saw them!" he said angrily and Madame Pomfrey came out of her office and went about seeing to Harry and the pain, when she had left Harry saw that his two friends were looking thoughtful. Well, Hermione was, Ron looked confused.

"It could be a trap," Hermione warned Harry. "V-Voldemort has manipulated things in the past."

Harry frowned. "Not about this!" he told her. "I'm going to the Department before he can do anything else!"

Hermione shook her head. "At least get proof!"

"I don't need it!" Harry told her glaring her way.

"Yes you do, if you go rushing in there like a fool and they aren't there – it's not smart Harry," Hermione retorted back. He glared harder and she frowned. "You think I say this to make you mad?" she replied getting angry herself. "Think!"

Harry looked to Ron who shrugged. "I'd go after Ginny, you know it. But she's got a point." Hermione gave Ron a look of disbelief that he was siding with her and he blushed. "It's just – how to find out," Ron said. "Only place not watched around the clock is the Toad's fireplace, and even then that's a tricky one."

Hermione and Harry were both looking at Ron in awe now. "What did you eat Ronald?" Hermione demanded to know. Ron squawked at that but Harry was looking curiously at him. They had tried a dozen things without Hermione knowing to get the knowledge for tests into their brains.

"Lee had this stuff – I think it was a little unicorn d-," he started when Hermione held up her hand stopping him.

"Never mind!" she told him looking disgusted.

"Then we get to her fireplace and see if they're there," Harry told them. "If we can't find them we go to the Department, agreed?"

Ron nodded and looked to Hermione who finally nodded, "Fine."

Madame Pomfrey let Harry go and they made it to the Gryffindor common room where Harry had to find an explanation about it all but Neville and Ginny they were more honest with them.

"We're going to need your help to get back into Umbridge's office," Harry told them after his news.

"How about around lunch time?" Neville said and Ron frowned at the thought of missing lunch.

Hermione nodded in approval. "She'll be down there then, Luna can watch if she leaves and warn us with the DA medallion. Neville and Ginny can be lookouts."

Harry thought about it an agreed.

**Same Time, Muircross, Ireland…**

Tara McClay sat in class when her head started to throb a little. Jessa Lyons one of the girls her age motioned. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

Tara nodded as she winced. "Just a little ache," she replied with a smile.

It was a few hours before she made it home and with a wave to her gran who was talking with a neighbor in the kitchen she made it to her room to drop onto her bed. It was then that she saw there was a note from Ginny on the Accordia that was companion to the one she had at home.

_Tara,_

_I know it's the last part of school with tests and all, but today Harry has been off. The fifth year girls were telling me about Harry grabbing his head in pain before passing out. _

_He has visions as if he's looking through you-know-who's eyes. He saw his godfather and sister being tortured by them in the Department of Mysteries. _

_So, we're going to find out at noon and see if Harry can get in touch with them. If not, we're getting there- somehow – tonight probably._

_I know, I was surprised to find out Harry has a sister, they kept it quiet, she's the one who caused the stir up a while back, remember? _

Tara sat back; her eyes went white as images flashed in front of her. A red headed girl with beautiful hazel eyes, in front of her was a glowing orb the size of a snitch, around them shelf upon shelf of glowing orbs. Tara reached out to touch it and so did the girl, their eyes caught each other and the girl smiled.

Tara blinked a few times then she smiled as she hurried to her wardrobe and pulled out warmer, nicer clothing and dressed. Tara knew deep down inside her that she needed to be with Ginny and Harry for this, every fiber of her being willed her to get ready only to look to her door when she was ready to leave and bit her lip worriedly. Her Gran and Mom would not let her go. Tara nodded to herself as she hurriedly wrote a note and put it on her bed before she climbed out her window and ran to the corrals and found her favorite horse, Eiowyn. She climbed on and the mare snorted at this as Tara threaded her fingers into the mare's mane as the Aethonan spread her wings and galloped fast enough to lift off into the air.

"To Hogwarts," Tara told her. "We have to help some friends." She looked to the ocean between Ireland and Britain and held on tight, the Aethonan was very fast but it would still be a long flight. "And find a new one," she finished. The girl with the flowing red hair in her vision led her on.

**Knockturn Alley…**

A door opened at an inn for those keeping a low profile. An elderly man with wand at the ready looked the two waiting over.

"Don't take no Were's here," he told them.

"We owled ahead," a wizard told him, he was good looking and, if the voice was an indication, American.

The Were came into view and she looked pissed. "I'm from Wolfram and Hart," she told him. "Call me a Were again and you'll see the end of your pitiful life."

The wizard swallowed. Most dark wizards who worked with the muggle world knew Wolfram and Hart. They were paying him a lot of money to ensure their privacy. The woman may be a muggle Were, which meant nothing to him, but that name opened doors. "Of course, Mrs.-," he asked.

"MS.," she growled out with loathing at the mistake. "Morgan."

He nodded again and the two went in and the door closed. Lilah looked disgusted at the place as the wizard went to get them room keys, mostly to leave the two alone. "Any news on our little witch?" she asked the man.

He shook his head. "Disappeared into thin air. I'll go to the Ministry and ask around when we're done here."

"And the Watcher's Council? Any inquiries?" she asked as she removed her coat, she had a scarf around her neck hiding her scars.

"They're still looking for the Slayer. As far as well can tell, they don't know about the wizarding world," he replied.

She smirked at that as her eyes glowed ferally. "Good," she growled out.

**Watcher's Council, London, England…**

Quentin Travers looked to the four men who had the job of watching Rupert Giles after he was released from the building a few days ago, while they had a new Slayer by the name of Faith Lehane with her watcher now in Sunnydale. She was a bit rough around the edges, since she had not been found early on like Summers, but she wanted approval and love from an adult so she did as she was told.

For now.

Lehane had the fire and attitude of going rogue once she had the basic home, love and care. This Quentin would make sure that didn't happen. Not after the problems with Summers and Rupert's defection to stand with his Slayer and not the council. No, Lehane would have some heartaches in the near future just to keep her needy and pliable.

The Summers girl was a loose cannon, even from the start. She came from money, her parents loved her and she was raised and had the tenacity to think and do for herself. This Quentin did not like. Along with that her watcher was one who had the skill and darkness to have been the head of the Council's wetworks division if his father hadn't insisted on him being a proper watcher. The two of them were a danger to the council now. If the potentials, hell, if the younger Slayer knew of Summers' rebellion to the council…

Quentin sighed as he leaned back in his chair, the four men watched him as they waited for orders. They had failed to keep Rupert in sight, and news had come in that Summers' mother had packed a bag and left for England. Glancing at his calendar he knew she would be there today or tomorrow.

"Seeing as how you failed to keep Rupert in hand," he finally spoke looking to the men. "The Slayer's mother is due in to Heathrow where I assume she will meet with either Rupert or the Slayer or both." He took up his gin and tonic for a sip. His eyebrows rose when he looked their way again. "Need I tell you what will happen if you fail to lose her or to find our rogue Slayer and Watcher?" he asked.

The four men shook their heads and left as he finished his drink in a large swallow and looked out the window into the forest of London buildings with the trailing of vehicles and humans alongside them. If only they knew what the Council did for them. If only one careless Slayer would just do her job and heed his orders. Summers was now one of the longest lived Slayers in the history of all Slayers. And from the looks of it, she would be the longest at the rate she was going and he'd be damned if she was while not under his thumb.

As much as he didn't like it, she would be retrained or dead within the next month. He was eager to find out if another would be summoned if she did die and two Slayers would continue to exist. That would be a boon to his legacy as Head of the Council. He smiled slightly at that before turning to his paperwork.

**Lupin's Cottage…**

Sirius wandered out in the back woods behind the house in dog form after seeing the kids and adults off as they headed for Gringotts to see what the goblins were up to with his goddaughter, or niece, as Willow insisted he call her as it was easier. It was more like he had gained an extra two as Buffy and Xander called him Uncle Sirius. He snuffed at that. More like it was Uncle Siriusly. The three American teens teased him relentlessly and honestly, he had smiled and laughed more within the last few weeks then he had in the last fifteen years.

Now if only he could help Harry more he would be happy. He didn't realize his mirror to Harry was left back at the house…

**Hogwarts…**

Harry stared at the mirror in his bedroom as he waited for Sirius to answer. Ron, Hermione and Neville were watching as well. They were giving it one last try before resorting to going to Umbridge's office.

"Maybe he doesn't have it with him, mate," Ron said quietly.

"Maybe Voldemort has him," Harry replied restlessly. He looked to Hermione who honestly looked concerned before she nodded in agreement.

"We need to make sure, Harry," she told him.

"All that's left is calling through the floo," Neville offered up looking at the time, it was almost lunchtime.

Hermione nodded at this. "Neville, you make sure Luna is in place then come as fast as you can," she told him before looking to her two best friends. "Let's do this then."

They split up, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny went to Umbridge's office, with Ginny as lookout while Neville went to tell Luna then help Ginny out.

They made it there avoiding Filch and the inquisition squad. Hermione easily got the door open which made the others look her way curiously and she made a face at that and they went inside while Ginny found a spot to keep watch while not being suspicious.

Inside the three cringed at the colors and plates with cats on them. Harry went to the fireplace and threw some floo powder in. "Sirius Black!" he called out and put his head in. He saw a place that looked like an average wizarding English cottage home, not Grimmauld Place, that was for sure. What with it being all bright and sunny, and happy looking. He saw a house elf peer around a corner to look at him. The elves' eyes went wide and disappeared. "Wait!" he called out. The eyes came back again, as if two ping pong balls were staring at him. "Where is Sirius Black? I need to find him!" he said.

"Not here!" the voice chimed back to him nervously. "Go away!"

Harry pulled his head out of the fireplace. "Who was that Harry?" Ron asked while keeping his eye on the creepy cat plates.

"House elf," Harry replied as he looked to his friends. "Said he wasn't there."

"Ask if he's been there in the last day," Hermione replied.

Harry put his head back in since it was still green the elf eyes were gone. "Hello?" he called out. "When did he leave? Was he taken? Is it why no one's here?" It was silent. "Please! He's my godfather I need to see him!"

The eyes slowly came back. "Who is you?" the elf asked.

"Harry Potter," Harry told the elf. "Please hurry, I can't be caught here!"

The elf came out from hiding. "You be Harry?" the elf asked and when Harry nodded the elf smiled. "Mister Black left, all empty in house," she said looking at him. "Cooking for children now. Mister Xander likes Sparkle's cooking!" she said with a smile.

Harry nodded, he was sure he'd heard the name Xander but at the moment he was drawing a blank at it. "Did the Death Eaters take him?" he asked.

Sparkle went pale. "Take Master Xander?" she exclaimed with a horrified look on her face and popped out of sight.

"No! Wait!" he called out.

"I think you can wait a little longer," came an unwanted voice from behind as he was pulled out of the fireplace to see Dolores Umbridge standing over him. "Now, who were you talking to?"

Harry grunted as he was roughly lifted up from his crouch on the floor by Filch. "No one," he informed her as he saw Ron and Hermione being held captive by Malfoy and Crabbe, while Ginny and Neville were held by Parkinson and Zabini.

Bloody hell, could this get more messed up?

"You ain't stickin' your head in the floo to talk to no one," Filch growled at him, shaking the teen a little by Harry's shoulder.

"Quite," Umbridge concluded. "Now tell me, or we'll see how you do with a dose of veritaserum."

"You can't use that on a minor!" Hermione told her. "It's illegal."

Umbridge looked her way with a frown. "And you, mudblood that you are, we shall see who you've been cheating off of for your grades."

Ron and Harry stilled as Hermione's eyes flattened. "I haven't needed to cheat," she replied angrily. "Purebloods are too asinine to do well on tests."

"Yes!" Ron said with a smile as Malfoy struggled with him. Hermione had talked back to a professor! He didn't realize she was putting down his own blood status.

"You call me such things and yet you walk into my office where I've monitored any activity without thinking to look for it, not so smart," Umbridge replied looking smug. "A cheat and a liar, I will expel you for this."

Hermione shut up at that. To be kicked out of school was a fear of hers. "Now then Mr. Potter," Umbridge said looking to the boy. "Let's find out who is so important that you needed to break into my office to use the floo."

Harry struggled in Filch's grip as the man forced him towards a chair. "Just tell her Harry," Hermione said as tears started to form in her eyes.

Umbridge's smile got wider. "See now, just tell me and no harm will come to any of you."

"I will not!" Harry replied glaring at Hermione as Ron looked to Hermione like she was insane. Ginny and Neville weren't sure who to side with; Hermione's emotions were jumping all over the place.

"You must!" Hermione said. "Tell her about Dumbledore!"

"Dumbledore?" Umbridge parroted as she stopped her hand in her desk drawer for something, most likely the potion to make Harry talk. Harry looked her way now.

"The Headmaster wanted Harry to come and meet him," Hermione whined out sadly as she looked directly at Harry that he had seen many times 'shut up and pay attention'.

It was then that Harry understood the brilliance of Hermione Granger even more. "Shut it, Hermione!" Harry retorted, playing along with his friend as the three others looked confused and a little shocked, Ron the most.

"No, no, now Miss Granger, you must know that Dumbledore is wanted by the Ministry," Umbridge replied coming over to the girl motioning for Crabbe to release her.

"Dumbledore's been planning an army of students to take over the Ministry," Hermione told her looking fearfully at Harry. "It isn't Harry's fault, Headmistress."

Harry shook his head looking angrily at Hermione. "You will ruin all of this Hermione! You traitor!"

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "It's the Ministry, Harry! Dumbledore is mad!"

"Do you know where this meeting place is?" Umbridge asked looking very pleased. Hermione slowly nodded.

"I hate you Hermione!" Harry yelled at her thrashing away from Filch only to be caught by the man again before he could reach his friend.

"And you can take me there?" Umbridge asked.

"Not alone," Hermione told her. "He wanted Harry to come."

Umbridge nodded looking at the furious boy. "Then he will come and you will be my guide."

**Back at Gringotts… again…**

"If she had been anywhere but Gringotts I would be more worried," Lupin told Jenny as they entered the bank an hour later after Tonks and Lupin had found them. He took his mother home and found Jenny after the children told them about their doings in the bank.

Jenny had an arm about Willow's shoulders while Giles walked with Buffy and Xander as Tonks watched to make sure no one really noticed the group. The teens had informed them about Willow's parents will.

"More importantly," Remus said in a whisper. "They can help us with your papers you had signed this morning rather than having to deal with the ministry."

Jenny look curiously at him as a surprised Gorthok was found again. He looked them over then showed them into his office once again. "You are the guardians?" he asked.

"I am," Jenny told him. "Willow's and now Harry's, I want adoption papers to go through as quick as possible. I'm told you can help."

He looked her way as Lupin cleared his throat. "I'll sign what's needed for this to happen," Lupin told the goblin.

Gorthok now looked his way. "And you are?" he asked.

"Remus Lupin," he replied. "I'm Willow's godfather. Harry's godfather has signed the forms for Miss Calendar to be his magical guardian as well. Harry will have to decide if he wants to be adopted by her."

Gorthok glanced back at Jenny more curiously now. "And you are a witch?" he asked. Jenny shook her head and he shook his head in return. "You cannot be a magical guardian if you are not magical."

"My birth name is Janna Kalderash," she told him.

Gorthok looked at her more closely now. "A gypsy clan name." She nodded slightly at this. He sighed and soon the young goblin was back with the progeny stone. "If we are to have you be the guardian and mother of two magical children then we must make sure no other in the wizarding world can claim you are not worthy of this."

Jenny frowned. "Worthy?" she questioned.

"They're bigots," Willow informed her soon-to-be mother with a frown. "If you aren't pureblood then you're a nothing to them."

Jenny frowned even more as Giles came forward. "Do you think it's wise you stay in this world then, Willow?"

"We'll take Harry with us then," Willow replied. "I'm not leaving him."

Tonks' hair changed a shade. "Dumbledore wouldn't be happy at that."

"Just let him do the blood test," Lupin told them quietly. They could see he wasn't happy about any of this. Willow wrapped her arms about his neck as Gorthok lanced Jenny's thumb and pressed it to the stone. It performed like it did for Willow but the names were mostly orange with greens and a few white or black names in the mix.

Gorthok nodded. "Very powerful. No one can question your magical heritage, Janna of Kalderash," he told them as Jenny's lineage was transposed onto a scroll. "You do realize that taking Miss Potter into your family she will be of the Kalderash line."

Jenny sighed heavily at that. "But not beholden to them?"

Gorthok shook his head. "Not with the power seen in her or Mr. Potter, no."

Jenny closed her eyes. "I'll deal with it when it comes to that," she said.

Willow looked worried. "Deal with what?" she asked.

Jenny glanced her way. "At the rate you're growing in magical power – you're most likely going to be the head of the Kalderash clan one day."

Willow blinked at this. "I am?"

Jenny smiled. "Don't worry about it. It's my problem."

Gorthok shook his head. "Would you like your full power restored?" he asked.

"Is she blocked?" Lupin asked looking content with his arm about Willow's waist.

"Miss Potter? No," Gorthok said. "She has yet to grow into her full abilities but she is not blocked. Janna of Kalderash, yes."

Jenny sat up at that. "I'm what?" she got out.

Gorthok looked to the group then Jenny as he motioned for her to look at the progeny stone. "It did not fully power from your blood, which means you have some of your abilities blocked, most likely young enough that you never gained them."

He smiled as Jenny swore in Romany for a minute or two impressed with her vicious language. The goblins enjoyed the Romany clans and their thirst for revenge. "Why would hers be blocked?" Willow asked.

"This is the problem with my clan," Jenny told Willow, "And the reason I don't want you beholden to them. You toe the line, do as you're told and keep revenge and curses alive!" She swore again pacing around a little before she turned to the group. "I didn't, I went off on my own when I was younger and my family made sure I wasn't going to do anything too powerful."

"Your family did this?" Tonks asked.

Jenny nodded. "Not all bigotry is held by wizards Dora," she told her friend while looking to Gorthok and she took out her talisman. "This is what I use to do anything."

Gorthok took it up and nodded to her as he felt the power. Surprisingly he held it out to Willow. "You have been trained in the ways of the fey?" he asked the young woman.

"Wiccan?" Willow asked taking the talisman. "Some, but-." She touched it and her hands lit up a bright green, the clear purity of earth magic. "Wow," she whispered.

Jenny watched with a small smile as Lupin and Tonks looked shocked at the power in Willow. Willow looked up to Jenny, her eyes were white. "I can see it," she told her guardian. She reached out and touched Jenny with her fingertip and Jenny felt power rush into her. Gorthok took up the small dagger for the progeny stone and cut Willow's hand lightly then Jenny's and put the older woman's hand on the talisman with Willow, the power in the room heightened to where everyone but Jenny and Willow had to look away, even Buffy.

Jenny gasped when she saw the ghostly visage a woman around her age, maybe a few years younger that looked quite a bit like Willow smile fondly at her and she knew, she knew in her soul this was Willow's mother. Tears came to her eyes and she nodded. She would take Willow and Harry in since Lily Potter could not. With that the ghost was gone.

The spell broke and Jenny took Willow into her arms and Gorthok nodded. "The Wizengamot cannot break that."

"With one of the guardians listed here would you like the will of your parents read?" Gorthok asked after Jenny and Willow collected themselves.

Willow shook her head. "Harry should be here too."

It wasn't long before they were headed for an apparition point where they could leave privately. "Is it me, or is it totally weird the bank can do all that?" Xander asked. "Why go through the ministry at all?"

"The goblins are separate from the Ministry, but they have financial power," Tonks told him.

"Wizards may think they're in charge," Lupin told them, "but if Gringotts were to close up, the wizarding world would go into chaos. Do realize that the goblins took a hefty fee for doing all of that."

"You got an older goblin," Tonks told them when they made it to Lupin's cottage, it was well after lunch time by then. "I'm still not sure why."

"That would be Buffy's doing," Xander said as he was given food first by Sparkle and Sirius was able to hear what happened.

The adults looked to Buffy. "I'm called a Champion to them. They like us in hopes that we like them and no killing is involved."

"It helped, a teller could do nothing as Gorthok did for you," Remus replied.

"They called the Watchers Shadowmen," Willow told them from where she sat by Jenny she felt a little awed that Jenny was now her adopted mother, Jenny looked a little overwhelmed but happy at the same time.

They looked to Giles who shrugged. "I've never heard of it before, I'm sorry to say."

"Well, Willow has a new in-attendance mom, I have new dangerous demony looking friends, which is a nice change by the way, and Xander has lunch," Buffy said looking to the adults as she settled back with drink in hand at the table. "What have you been up to?"

The adults all looked to each other.

**Forbidden Forest, a few hours later…**

"As grateful as I am Hermione," Harry muttered under his breath to his friend as they walked on a forced march through the forest. It had taken Umbridge some time to get the other three Gryffindors quiet, cancel classes and seclude everyone in their dorms, then make their way down to the edge of the forest. Umbridge was not giving anyone the opportunity to warn Dumbledore away.

"Quiet!" Umbridge called out from behind them. "Where are we going? Where is he?"

"Deeper in, he didn't want to be spotted," Hermione told her.

"Where are we going?" Harry whispered.

Hermione gave him a worried look and he realized this was a diversion to stall Umbridge. Hermione was going off of luck on this. However, the forest was not the safest place for anyone to be. They stumbled through the forest for a few more minutes, and Harry started to get worried. Umbridge's wand was stuck in his back as the woman questioned Hermione non-stop. What were they going to do?

They made it into a small clearing; it was near where Hagrid had taken them to see Grawp. Heavens knew what the giant was up to, the three hadn't been able to get away to see him after Hagrid was fired. Not like Hermione wanted to, just saying 'Grawp' made the brunette shudder.

"Where is he?" Umbridge demanded pushing Harry forward as she looked angrily at Hermione. "If this is a trick you will dearly wish it wasn't!"

"He's coming," Hermione got out; the woman was scaring her a little. "It should be soon."

"Two younglings and who is this?" a male voice said.

Umbridge turned to the sound of the voice with her wand raised to see three centaurs come out of the dark of the forest. She looked disgusted at them as Harry dragged Hermione out of the way when they saw six more centaurs come up behind them, one of them, the dreaded Bane. The centaurs let them pass and the two scrambled to hide in the trees and watch.

"Should we help?" Hermione whispered.

"Them or her?" Harry asked back. "We don't have our wands, Hermione."

Hermione sat back by him as they watched Umbridge actually make demands to the centaurs.

"By order of the Ministry, you will leave now!" she told them. "Filthy beasts that you are, leave or I will have your kind cast from the forest!"

"The Ministry," one centaur said flatly as they circled her.

"I am Undersecretary to the Minister and I will have my orders obeyed!" she warned them.

Hermione and Harry looked up when they saw a few trees in the distance waver. Just a few. Hermione held onto Harry's shirt as she moved back into the tiny copse of trees. "Harry," Hermione whispered. Harry nodded, he had seen it.

Bane spoke up towards Umbridge now. "This is our forest, humans aren't welcome here," he growled at the woman.

Umbridge turned to look at him. "Human? I am no mere human, I am a witch!" she yelled at him. A few more trees closer to the argument swayed and there was a small tremor to the ground. The others didn't notice as they were focused on their standoff, but Hermione was behind Harry now. "I'm here for Dumbledore and I will get rid of all of your kind from this forest!" Umbridge screamed as she looked around. "Where did those brats go?" she hissed out.

More trees moved and the head of Grawp could be seen at the tree tops. Hermione held onto Harry from behind him, her arms latched about him as she buried her head in his back but her intense brown eyes continued to watch the disaster forming. Scared as she was, Hermione was not a coward.

"Hagger?" Grawp got out and the group in the clearing saw him. The centaurs backed off knocking arrows in bows as the giant came out.

"What is the meaning of this?" Umbridge got out looking at him, her eyes wide in shock, hand to her chest but her wand pointed at the giant. "What kind of beast is living here now? Are you Ministry sanctioned?" she demanded to Grawp. "I think not as I would know!"

Grawp looked her way. "Hermy?" he asked as he reached for the only pink dressed thing there. Surprisingly Umbridge was faster than they thought and she dropped to the ground avoiding the hand.

Nine arrows went into the giant and he grunted at this as Umbridge stood up. "Reducto!" she said casting a spell at the giant. Grawp cried out as part of his left arm was torn into and he reached for her again. "Crucio!" Umbridge got out as she was bumped by a centaur. Her spell missed hitting one of the centaurs who went down screaming.

Umbridge wasn't sure what happened after that as rearing hooves and grasping hands caught at her. Her wand was knocked from her hand but it was Grawp that caught her, lifting her up he looked at her. "Bad!" he said as he shook her a little and Umbridge looked ill at the violent movement. He looked down as the centaurs shot at him again, one of the arrows hit into Umbridge's back and she cried out.

Harry and Hermione watched as a wounded Dolores Umbridge was carried off into the woods by Grawp. "We need to tell someone," Hermione literally whispered into Harry's ear from where she held onto him, watching from their hiding spot as the giant swatted at a few more centaurs as Umbridge screamed and then the two were alone.

"Who are we going to tell and not get blamed for it, Hermione?" Harry asked exhausted. "She sees you on the same level as them. Good riddance." Hermione looked shocked and he sighed. "We need to find Sirius and Willow," he told her. "I'm more concerned about them than her."

Hermione looked back to the forest; the top range of Umbridge's scream was all that could be heard now. "Do you think they'll kill her?" she asked.

"Probably," Harry replied as he stood both of them up. Hermione reluctantly let him go. They were covered in dirt, leaves and twigs.

Hermione's brow was furrowed as she stood up by him. "How can you not care?" she asked softly.

"She's made life a bloody nightmare," Harry replied as he headed for the way out. He saw Hermione just stand there watching him even more confused. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to join him, he didn't want them stuck there when the centaurs came back looking for them. "We can be questioned for days in some Ministry room being accused of anything and everything for a woman that's tortured me over the year, wants muggleborns out of the wizarding world, and hates Remus for who he is," he looked her way as he said it. "And we both know it would be horrible. Or I can go and save my sister and my godfather."

Hermione followed along behind him as she thought about it while he figured out how to get them out of the forest. When they came to the edge of the tree line Hermione came up alongside him. "We're going to need a way to London," she told him in her no-nonsense voice, she had decided, family was more important. "Filch and the Slytherins aren't going to let us near Umbridge's office to floo."

Tears came to Harry's eyes; brilliant, intense and a little scary Hermione was still at his side, he realized she always had been no matter how much they argued over something but right now, he was so tired, he wanted to sleep, yet he had a sister and godfather to save. "I'm sure we'll find a way," he replied.

She nodded at that as they hurried up the hillside to the school to see a beautiful white colored winged horse fly over the quidditch field to land nearby as Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna came running from the castle towards them.

"Tara!" Ginny said happily as the blonde dismounted from her horse. The foursome looked like they had been in a fight and Harry and Hermione looked as if they'd been dragged through the dirt.

Ron handed the two back their wands. "Got them off of Malfoy, Nev got in a good hit."

"Did I miss something?" Tara asked.

"Not yet," Harry said coming forward as Hermione hugged Tara after Luna did. "We need to get to London."

"You'll all not fit on Eiowyn," Tara told them stroking her Aethonan's mane.

"How did you know to come?" Hermione asked.

"Ginny left me a note about school and Harry's godfather and sister," Tara replied. She looked to Harry. "You have a choice, Harry. Either way, something bad is going to happen."

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
